Loretta Mae Cooper, 90, of Grinnell, passed away July 4, 2026, at Brooklyn Community Estates. Memorials may be designated to Blake Cooper mailed c/o Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112.
Loretta was born June 24, 1936, to Howard F. and Vivian (Miller) Lowry near Searsboro. She graduated from Grinnell High School with the Class of 1954. Following graduation, she was united in marriage to Donald J. Cooper on May 30, 1954, in Searsboro. To this union the couple had two sons, Blake and Brent.
Loretta lived most of her life in and around Grinnell. She worked for DeLong’s Sportswear for 16 years before retiring in 1998. She owned and operated Dairy Queen and will be remembered for being a hard worker.
Loretta enjoyed traveling, the flowers she planted, butterflies, and the birds that came to her many feeders. She cherished her annual family trips to Backbone State Park, hiking the trails, and sitting around the bonfire.
Sundays were a special day for Loretta, starting with Church to Worship, and lunch of beef roast with all the sides, especially the big glass bowl of noodles. Many Sundays ended with popcorn and her homemade fudge.
She is survived by her sons Blake (Cindy) Cooper and Brent (Debby) Cooper; her grandchildren Megan (Nate) Anderson, Jessie (Brandon) Dewey, and Nicole Routier; her great-grandchildren Jobe Dewey, Kassie Routier, Jackson Routier, Tucker Anderson, Dean Anderson, and Milly Anderson; her great-great-grandchildren Danney, and Jazzy; and her sister Shirley Paulson.
She was preceded by her husband Don, her brother and sister-in-law Richard (Doris) Lowry, her great- grandson Simon Allen Dewey, and her brother-in-law Keith Paulson.
