Mary Elizabeth Cooper, 82, Sturgis, died Thursday, April 26, 2012 at the Sturgis Regional Hospital.

Visitation will be noon until 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis. A rosary and vigil service will be 7:00 p.m. at the church Wednesday evening.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10 a.m. Thursday at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Sturgis with Fr. Arnold Kari officiating.

Burial follows at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.

A memorial has been established to the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic

Church.

Mary was born September 8, 1929 in Minneapolis, MN, to Reuben and Elsie (Otter) Wallen. She was raised in Minneapolis and graduated from high school. She worked in the corporate offices of Northwest Airlines and enjoyed the traveling perks associated with her job.

She met Richard "Dick" Cooper in August and they were married on June 16, 1956 in Minneapolis. The couple moved to Sisseton, SD, where Dick worked for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company. They lived in Mobridge, SD, prior to settling in Sturgis where they raised their family.

Mary was a member of St. Francis Parish. She enjoyed dancing, traveling and a good nickel slot machine.

Survivors include her son, Mike (Heather) Cooper, Rapid City; daughters, Judy (Sam) Sommers, Sioux Falls, Teresa (Lynn) Breidenbach, Gaston, OR, Jenny (Jeff) Sorge, Westminster, CO, Mary (Richard) Cottrill, Sturgis, Jean (Neal) Countryman, Ft. Collins, CO, Karen (Dan) Hendricks, Sioux Falls; 29 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren; sister, Rosemarie Henzler, St. Cloud, MN; sisters-in-law, Marguerite Waligoske, Brookings, SD,Gertrude Cooper, Battle Lake, MN; and special friends, Lori and Cal Bratland.

She was preceded in death by her husband, an infant daughter, her parents, two brothers and three sisters.