Dana Copeland's Obituary
Dana Copeland, 85, passed away Sunday, February 20, 2022. She was born in Topeka, Kansas, February 24, 1936, to Fred and Gertrude (Koger) Horn. When she was eight, her mother died. She was then lovingly “adopted” by her aunt and uncle, Evelyn and Wayne Hatfield, and grew up in Wichita, Kansas.
She met Milton Copeland at Abilene Christian University. In 1958, they graduated and married soon thereafter. They lived in Texas, Washington, D.C., and California before settling in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1971, when Milton joined the law school faculty. They traveled to many places and had many wonderful adven¬tures. She was a loving and devoted wife and travel companion to Milton for 63 years.
“Sweet Dana” loved reading the Bible, worshiping God, being with family, and helping others. She was a doting and loving mother and grandmother. Some of her favorite pastimes were conversation, crossword puzzles, reading good novels, baking, tatting, and Razorback games. She kept an immaculate home and opened it to friends and strangers alike, as well as any pets and random critters that her children brought home. She loved all animals and bird watching.
She is survived by her husband, Milton, their two children, Diane Aday of Fayetteville, and Gary Copeland (and his wife Vicki) of Huntsville, Alabama, and a growing family tree consisting of seven grandchildren (Amber, Amy, Robin, Benjamin, Daniel, Rebekah, and Anna), six great-grandchildren (Hannah Grace, Adam, Blake, Bailey, Zoey, and Arabelle), and two great-great-grandchildren (Salem and Emery), plus in-laws, church family, and friends who will miss her gentle ways and godly influence.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at 6:00 pm at the Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the Foreign Help Fund, c/o Gary Copeland, 126 Iron Horse Trail, Harvest, AL 35749. To view the live stream of the memorial service, please visit https://my.gather.app/remember/dana-copeland .
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