Kenneth R. Cooper

Kenneth R. Cooper, 85, of South Sioux City, NE passed away on January 10, 2015 at his residence, while surrounded by his family.Memorial services will be held at 6:00 P.M. on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at the Mohr Funeral Home in South Sioux City, NE. Visitation will begin at 4:00 P.M., with the family present at 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday prior to the service at the funeral home.Kenneth was born in Walthill, NE on April 22, 1929, the son of Thomas and Amelia (Gunsolly) Cooper. He attended school in Walthill. He married Bettie Love on November 4, 1951 in Sedan, Kansas. Kenneth served in the U.S. Army from October 1951 through October 1953. He was stationed in Germany during the Korean Conflict. After the service he owned and operated his own mechanical shops in South Sioux City, including C & H Body Shop. He also ran C & H Wrecker Service, with a fleet of 8 wreckers until the mid 80's. He then owned and operated A-1 Auto Salvage in South Sioux City until his retirement in 1987.In his retirement years, he loved restoring John Deere tractors to new condition. He also loved NASCAR races, especially Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Kenneth and Bettie traveled to many races. They also did extensive travel over the years, spending winter in Arizona with many friends. Kenneth enjoyed playing cards, camping, and spending time with his family, especially his great-grandchildren. He was a member of the South Sioux City VFW.Survivors include his wife, Bettie Cooper of South Sioux City, NE; daughters, Kim Cooper of Seattle, WA and Donna (Dave) Kuhl of South Sioux City, NE; grandchildren, Kiley Kuhl and Carolina.of Washta, IA, Nikki (Jeff) Henshaw of Olathe, KS; great-grandchildren, Cooper, Averee and Ryder; sisters and brothers, Hazel Perrin, Mary Lou Brodersen, Helen Phillips, Amy (John) Klein all of Sioux City, IA, Ronnie (Fran) Cooper of Jackson, NE, Chuck (Jean) Cooper of Port Orange, FL; and one sister-in-law, Melba Cooper of Pender, NE.Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents; 7 brothers; 1 sister; 4 sisters-in-law; 4 brothers-in-law; and one great-granddaughter, Faith Love Henshaw.In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of Siouxland.