Obituaries 20 September 2019

Edward Joseph 'Joe' Cooper, 84

Edwin Joseph “Joe” Copper, age 84, of Ionia, IA, passed away on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at Linn Haven Rehab and Healthcare in New Hampton.
Funeral services for Joe will be held on Monday, September 23, 2019 at 10:30 AM at the Copper Family Farm near Ionia, IA with Father Brian Dellaert. 
Burial will be at Richland Township Cemetery.Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 PM on Saturday, September 22, 2019 at Conway-Markham Funeral Home in New Hampton, IA and will continue one hour prior to the service at the family farm on Monday. 
Online condolences for Joe’s family may be left at www.conway-markhamfh.com.  Memorials may be directed to the family.
Edwin Joseph “Joe” was born October 17, 1934, the son of Edwin S. and Katherine (Roth) Copper in Floyd, Iowa.  Joe was raised on the Copper family farm near Mitchell, Iowa.  At the age of 14, Joe began his lifelong farming career with his family. 
He graduated from Mitchell High School in 1952. 
Shortly after graduating, one summer night, Joe met the love of his life, Donna Knox. The couple was united in marriage on September 10, 1955 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Nashua.  They started their married life out on the Mitchell farm and in 1964 they purchased a farm of their very own outside of Ionia where they raised their children, Janet and Alan. 
Side by side, Joe and Donna farmed 64 years to date.  Farming wasn’t just a way of life for Joe, it was his passion.  He was the Richland Township Director for the past five years and very proud of the restoration work that had been done on the Richland Township Cemetery. 
He will be forever remembered as always being there for others to lend a helping hand and finding the deal of the day wherever he shopped.Those left to cherish Joe’s memory are his wife, Donna Copper of Ionia; his children, Janet (Tim) Copper Chandler and Alan (Nancy) Copper both of Ionia, IA; one granddaughter, Loann (Marc) Thomas of Rochester, MN; honorary family members, Randy (Sherry) Miller of Bassett and Carol Rathbun and family of New Hampton, IA; numerous nieces and nephews and extended family.
He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Joan in infancy; grandson, Timothy and brothers, Gerald, James, Gilbert and Robert.

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