Christine Juanita (Langston) Cooper's Obituary
Christine Juanita (Langston) Cooper, age 95 of Lowell passed away Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 in Fayetteville. She was born April 9th, 1925 in Elm Springs Arkansas, the daughter of James Robert Langston and Emma Belle Ennes. She was preceded in death by her husband of 78 years, Garlen Mearl Cooper; her parents, and two sisters, Aileen Kinder of Sparks, Nevada, and Emma Jean Conrad of Chickasha, Oklahoma. She was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church.
Christine’s father died when she was only 10 years old – which, as the oldest sister of three siblings, forced her to become a breadwinner and caretaker in the midst of the depression era, when work was difficult to find for a grown man, and almost impossible for a fatherless family of five females.
She is survived by her four sons, Danny Mearl Cooper and his wife Maxine of Montgomery, Texas, Joel Rance Cooper of Lowell, Arkansas, Larry Steven Cooper and his wife Catherine of Springdale, Arkansas, and Jerry Lynn Cooper of Lowell, Arkansas and a daughter-in-law Meg Cooper of Fayetteville, Arkansas. She is also surived by a sister, Katherine Clanton of San Diego, California; ten grandchildren Christopher Mearl Cooper, Wesley Edmonson Cooper, Kimberly Ann Kirby, Ashley Nicole Kirby Klingman, Andrea Danielle Cooper Ashby, Joel Brandon Cooper, Kyle David Cooper,
Grace Elizabeth Cooper, Katherine Margaret Cooper, Elizabeth Paige Cooper and eleven grandchildren Cameron Cooper, Connelly Cooper, Brett Kirby, Christopher Kirby, Nathaniel Vann, White Cloud Vann, McKenzie Klingman, Eleni Klingman, Issac Ashby
Kayden Ashby, James Garlen Ashby
The struggles of her youth fashioned a determination that would guide her for the rest of her life.
Though coming from a beginning of extreme poverty, she was guided by what her mother had told her: “Just because things are the way they are now, doesn’t mean they’ll always be this way”.
She didn’t have the benefit of an advanced education, but she was a voracious reader, and never stopped trying to improve herself. When her children were old enough to stay home without an adult, she took the opportunity for some advanced training that would lead to her proudest career as a pioneer cardiopulmonary technician at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rogers (now Mercy Health). It was a career that would last nearly twenty years, and a source of tremendous pride.
From her beginning, and throughout the rest of her life, Christine would dedicate herself to caring for others. She cared for her Mother, her sisters, her husband of 78 years, her children, and countless patients in the hospital. She was responsible for the betterment of family, friends, and the humanity she encountered.
She loved her flowers, and was a fantastic gardener. She loved growing things, she loved color and vibrance, and she loved life.
Memories of Mom
At the age of 16, while walking home from church, Christine met her future husband, Garlen Cooper (age 19), who was fixing a flat tire by the side of the road. Little did they realize at the time that this would be the start of a loving relationship that would endure for the next 78 years.
Together, they raised a family of four sons, numerous grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
From a very modest beginning, together they traveled most of the United States, including Hawaii.
They shared joy, loss, a home, good times and bad, but they always shared a fierce and undying love for each other and their family.
Dan
One of my favorite memories: When I was a small child every summer dad would go to wheat harvest in Kansas for several weeks. And almost every day Mom would take me and Rance (and usually an aunt) to Prairie Creek (that's when it was still just a creek) to swim in the cold water. After the swim we would go to the little country store down the road and get cheese and bologna and crackers. With an RC cola (they were bigger). I thought life couldn't get any better than a day like that. We would laugh and talk about what a good day it had been. If only Dad was there.
Rance
Although Mom loved her home and garden, she also loved to get out of the house and travel or just drive or go shopping. When she and my dad could no longer drive, my brothers and I would see to it that they got out of the house at least one day of the week to go on long drives to keep up with what was going on in the world. She loved going to Hobby Lobby especially at Christmas time, or driving out to Beaver Lake. Occasionally we would go somewhere to have a meal or to get an ice cream cone, or to have a treat of some type. These were all things that most of us took for granted, but things that meant so much to Mom. The thing that touched my heart so much was that every time I took them back home, Mom would put a little smile on her face and tell me," Thank you so much. You have given me another rose today." Mom I love and miss you so much, and I am sending both my love and roses your way today and always, until we are together again.
Larry
I remember sitting in the grass on a summer morning with Jerry and Mom, snapping green beans and tossing them into a big washtub. We kept at it until the tub was piled high. The contribution of Jerry and myself probably only accounted for a handful of the beans, but we thought we were helping. We all sang, "Froggy went a-courtin'" as we worked.
In the summer, Mom grew cherry tomato plants for us. She would sit us down on the grass in front of the plants, and we would pick them and eat them until all the ripe ones were gone. Then we'd come back a day or two later and do it again.
Sometimes in the heat of a summer's afternoon, she would make a little picnic for us under the shade of a tree in the yard. She would give us each our own carton of cold chocolate milk and some cookies or some other little snack.
Often she would take us with her down to the amphitheater at Monte Ne. She would gather huge armfulls of watercress there. Later that day she would serve it with dinner, usually dressed with some hot bacon grease.
At Halloween, she didn't believe in spending money on costumes or decorations. She preferred to make her own. If there was a store-bought mask that we really wanted, she would get it for us, but usually she would whip up something with whatever she had on hand. She would take a sheet or a bandana and a few other things and turn us into pirates or gypsies or something. When I turned 12, I decided I was too old to go trick-or-treating. I stayed home and watched old horror movies with Mom and I was in charge of handing out the candy. After every group of kids left the door, Mom and I would discuss their costumes and who had the most creative one. I thought I was big stuff that year.
Every day, Mom read the newspaper from cover to cover. I was motivated to learn to read because I could see that she regarded reading the newspaper as an important adult activity. As soon as I could read a little bit, I started reading the paper each day as soon as she was through with it. At first there was a lot I didn't understand, but either Mom or Rance would explain to me the parts I couldn't figure out for myself. Newspaper articles are written in a way that helps you out if you are new to the story, and so it was a good way to learn about the world. After a while, there was less and less I had to ask about. I learned about world and local events, about politics, about science, about business, all from reading the paper. Understanding the things in the newspaper helped me understand other things that I read. Along with comic books, that is really what got me started on reading, and I owe it to Mom.
Jerry
Even though she suffered from social anxiety, she participated in Cub Scouts first as an assistant den mother, then actual den mother. Our troop brought home the cub scout trophy almost every month. Though she was proud of that, it was much later that I realized her real pride was in us.
She went to the PTA and fought for plates that were separated into compartments, so that the food didn’t run together. It was hard for mom to stand up for herself, but she would do it for us.
After a hard day of work, I’m sure all she wanted to do was relax. But she took us to the Fayetteville Mall on Friday nights, so that we could feel like we were part of things going on.
She didn’t get to finish school, but she went to work - very hard - to make sure that we had a college education.
Because Dad worked all the time, she took us fishing and swimming.
She stressed to us what her mother told her – “just because things are the way they are now, doesn’t mean they will always be this way”.
She frequently said that we could do anything we set our mind to do.
She used to encourage me in my artwork. She always made a big deal about my talent – even when I didn’t have much.
One time when I was a kid, Mom and I were going through some things in the attic. She found her mother’s old eyeglasses. She began to weep gently, but never said a word. Her sorrow was something she kept to herself.
I always loved the way Mom would laugh and enjoy herself when visiting with her sisters.
They didn’t see each other often, but when they did, it was always something special.
Mom didn’t interfere in my life decisions, even when she thought I was wrong. But she made sure I knew she had my back, and she made sure I knew that she loved me. Her light will guide me for the rest of my life.
“How far that little candle throws it’s beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world”.
Visitation will be held Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Stockdale-Moody Funeral Service. Funeral services will be held at Stockdale-Moody Funeral Home on Friday, October 9 at 10:00 a.m. Due to current covid-19 restrictions, this service will be restricted to immediate family only. A short graveside service will be held afterwards at 11:30 a.m. at Elm Springs Cemetery, which will be open to all family and friends, under the direction of Stockdale-Moody Funeral Services. The family asks that all attending observe the wearing of protective masks
What’s your fondest memory of Christine?
What’s a lesson you learned from Christine?
Share a story where Christine's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Christine you’ll never forget.
How did Christine make you smile?
