Ila Mae Cooper

Ila Mae Cooper, 88, passed away Saturday, February 4, 2017 in Weatherford. Funeral Service:  1:30 pm Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Weatherford.  Visitation:  12:00 noon till 1:30 prior to service at the church.  Interment:  Buckner Cemetery, Dennis, Texas.In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be given to the Senior Adults activities at First Baptist Church of Weatherford, to Meals on Wheels Program at the Parker County Committee on Aging, 1225 Holland Lake Drive, Weatherford, TX  76086,  or to the Buckner Cemetery Fund, in care of Euna Crooks, 1210 Dirkson St., Weatherford, TX  76086Ila was born September 30, 1928, in the Dennis community in Parker County to Alexander Stephens Cooper and Ida Mae Taff Cooper.  She was a lifelong resident of Parker County who graduated as Valedictorian from Dennis High School in 1945 and attended Weatherford College before joining Southwestern Bell Telephone Company as an operator in Weatherford in 1946.  She was promoted to Assistant Chief Operator in 1964 and to Chief Operator in the Weatherford office in 1967.  When the Weatherford office closed in 1974 she transferred to Bluebonnet TSPS  Unit in Fort Worth.  She also worked in the Western Heritage TSPS Unit and with AT&T Operator Services until she retired from AT&T in 1987 with over 40 years of service.Ila was a member of the Telephone Pioneers and after retirement she became active with her local Pioneer Club, Live Oak Life Member Club, serving at various times as treasurer, vice president and president.Ila became a member of First Baptist Church in Weatherford in 1962 and was a member of the BPW Women's Sunday School Class, serving as Class Outreach leader, secretary and treasurer.  She also volunteered to drive church members to doctor appointments in Fort Worth.She was an active member of the Weatherford Business and Professional Women's organization for more than 50 years, holding numerous offices including President.  She also attended 32 National Conventions serving as the delegate for the local organization.For more than 20 years she was a volunteer with the American Cancer Society serving as secretary as well as a driver for the Road to Recovery and working on the annual Relay For Life event.  She also was a relief driver for Meals on Wheels.As an avid researcher of family genealogical history, she was a Charter member of the Parker County Genealogical Society in 1974, and served as treasurer during the early years and remained an active member for 36 years.  Also, she was secretary of the Taff Family National Meeting for more than ten years.Ila was preceded in death by her parents, and her siblings, Bonnie Lee Cooper, Bernice Cooper Sosebee, Oscal Wendel Cooper, Claud Stephen Cooper and Austin Franklin Cooper.Ila was a very special aunt to her many nieces, nephews, cousins and their families over the years and they are her only survivors.