Margaret Jean Cooper

Margaret Jean Cooper, 80, of Charlotte, Mich., died April 22, 2013, in Bronson, Mich.

She was born April 1, 1933, in Forfar, Scotland, to Edward and Margaret (Hebenton) Welsh, raised in Chicago and studied nursing at Presbyterian-St Luke’s Hospital.

She married Alan Cooper in 1955, raising four children on their 48-acre farm in Michigan. She worked as a nurse at several facilities in Michigan and the Alaska Veterans and Pioneers Home in Palmer. Margaret loved Alaska, living in the Mat-Su Valley for nearly 10 years before returning to her farm, her favorite place on earth.

Her adventures included whitewater rafting in Idaho, working as a nurse on a wagon train from New Mexico to Montana with Vision Quest, kayaking into the Alaska wilderness with National Outdoor Leadership School and backpacking in Scotland. She loved flowers and had gorgeous gardens wherever she lived.

Surviving are her children, Heather (Tom) Lehe of Palmer, Todd (Zee) Cooper of Anchorage, Lori (Mel) Oliver of Quincy, Mich., and Mark Cooper of Big Lake; 12 grandchildren, Tommy, Doug, Anna and Lauren Lehe, Nicholl (Huston), Kori, Audrey and Kaylyn Oliver, Derek Cooper, Richard, Karla and Karina Phillips; and two great-grandchildren, Carter and Chloee.

A memorial service is planned in July at the United Methodist Church in Potterville, Mich.