Cooprider, John A. (1860-1950)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1950 May 11 p. 6

Birth date: 1860 Jan 19

text of obituary:

1950 May 11 p. 6

JOHN A. COOPRIDER

John A. Cooprider, son of Matthias and Sarah Friedley Cooprider, was born Jan. 19, 1860, at Clay city, Ind., died of cerebral hemorrhage April 25, 1950, at Greenburg, [sic Greensburg] Kansas, ago 90 years, three months, seven days.

His mother died when he was six years of age. His father, uncle, aunt, and two brothers left Indiana, August 3, 1876, in a covered wagon to make a new home in Kansas. About a year afterward his invalid stepmother followed, going on to Glory, soon after arriving in Kansas. Mrs. Susan Heatwole Brunk, mother of the late Bishop George R. Brunk, became his second stepmother. This last step in the family history introdured [sic] the Coopriders to the Mennonite Church.

He married Henrietta Brunk, daughter of Henry C. and Susan Brunk, on September 21, 1884. They made their home on a farm near McPherson, Kansas. To this union there was born three sons and four daughters. The sons, Albert and twins Ralph and Reuben, died in infancy. The daughters survive him. They are Mrs. Florence Friesen M.C. of Greensburg, Kansas, wife of Bishop P. A. Friesen, retired missionaries from India; Mrs. Stella Erb, wife of Bishop Allen H. Erb, superintendent of Mennonite Hospital and Sanitarium, La Junta, Colorado; Mrs. Grace Diller, wife of J. R. Diller, Hesston, Kansas; and Mrs. Ruth Zook, wife of J. Kore Zook, minister in the Bethel church, St. Johns, Michigan. There are 16 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

When a young man he confessed Christ as Saviour and became a member of the United Brethren church. About the year 1895 he and his wife became members of the West Liberty Mennonite church near McPherson, Kansas. In this church he was a faithful member until they moved to Hesston, Kansas to serve as superintendent of buildings and grounds of the newly organized school. He then transferred his membership to the Hesston congregation of which church he was a member until death.

He was a kind husband, a loving father, a conscientious, every-day Christian. He provided for his own, for himself, and for the work of the Lord as opportunity called. He is a good example of the incarnation of the principle of the Word of the Lord in Romans 2:6, 7, “Who will render to every man according to his deeds, to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.” Such lives furnish the main body in the structure of the church.

Funeral services at the P. A. Friesen home in Greensburg were conducted by Samuel Janzen, and at the West Liberty church near Windom, Kansas by J. G. Hartzler, Jess Kauffman, and Milo Kauffman. Interment at the West Liberty Mennonite cemetery.