Father: Arvel Bradley COOPER, (son of Frederick Arthur COOPER), b. 23 Oct 1900, Cabool Missouri, d. 15 Sep 1940, Burdine Missouri Texas County Missouri, bur. Cabool Cemetery Texas County Missouri
Arvel Cooper died in 1940 and was hit by a car according to the Cooper family genealogy info on the descendants of Benjamin Cooper He died in Greene County which would have been the nearest emergency center for that area if he was gravely injured and indeed the Greene County library lists his name as a death that required a coroner's inquest. . His first name is spelled at times Orval, Orvil and Arvel According to his niece his real father was a man named with the surname Bradley and he was adopted by Edna Hensley's husband Fred Cooper. .His death certificate lists him as Arvel. as does his tombstone. While his son Trafford is born in 1925, I have estimated 1929 as the year when Arvel and Maggie were married. According to the 1930 Census they were both married at ages 29 for Arvel and 31 for Maggie. on the Census in 1930 Arvel is 30 and Maggie is 32 thus making their marriage 1 year prior to census.
He and his wife Maggie McDonald are living in Texas County Missouri in 1930 Census right next door to his inlaws William and Annie McDonald with their daughter Lillie, a granddaughter Velma and a little girl listed as a granddaughter Jessie. It has been confirmed that Velma was indeed adopted by Arvel and was Maggie's biological daughter. . Confirmation was done by Gail Meeks, Arvel's niece. She did not know who Jessie was. Probably when the 1940 Census comes out the location of Jessie will clear up whether she is Maggie's other child or a child of Lillie's. . Orval is buried in Burdine Missouri in Texas County Missouri next to his wife Maggie S Cooper. see info below Burdine, Texas, MO Cabool City Cemetery Arvel B. Cooper 1900 - 1940 beside Maggie S. Cooper 1898 - 1970Additional information on his immediate family from Benjamin Cooper genealogy is as follows Parents of Orval Cooper. .. FREDERICK ARTHUR COOPER was born 21 Feb 1879 Eunice Texas Co Missouri and died 15 Feb 1952 in Cabool Texas Co Missouri. He married EDNA NORA HENSLEY 28 Feb 1903 in Houston Texas Co Missouri. She was born 28 Oct 1881 Houston Texas Co Missouri and died 29 Jan 1973 in Springdale Washington Co Arkansas. She was the daughter of EDWARD HENSLEY & SARAH VIANNA RUSTIN (See HENSLEY & RUSTIN information).Children of FREDERICK COOPER & EDNA HENSLEY: 18. A. ORVAL/ARVIL BRADLEY COOPER b 23 Oct 1900 d 23 Jun 1940 19. B. MARY VIANNA COOPER b 9 Dec 1904 d 1949 20. C. ELMER ARTHUR COOPER b 16 Mar 1906 21. D. ROSE EDITH COOPER b 3 Jul 1908 d 22 Dec 1961 22. E. RUTH EDNA COOPER b 8 Feb 1911 d 14 Jul 1996 F. ALICE IVY COOPER b 10 May 1915 d Dec? 1974 m ALBERT KAMPING child: DENISE KAMPING 23. G. WILLIAM CECIL COOPER b 28 Jan 1916 24. H. GLADYS DELLA COOPER b 19 Jun 1919 25. I. FRED JACKSON COOPER b 5 Oct 1923
Mother: Maggie S MCDONALD, (daughter of William Shepherd MCDONALD), b. Jan 1898, Chicago Illinois, d. 8 Jul 1970, Burdine Missouri Texas County Missouri, bur. Cabool Cemetery
Maggie's birth year also varies with each census. In 1900 she lists her birth year as 1896. In 1910 her age is 11 making her date of birth around 1899 and in 1920 she is 22 making her born in 1898. Cooper family information from the descendants of Benjamin Cooper and all Cooper info on World Connect give her birth year as 1898. For a time I could not locate Maggie McDonald after 1920 as I was not certain who she married. In 1920 she is in the household of her father William S McDonald in Summerville Texas County Missouri. . On the 1920 census in the household of William and Annie is a 3 1/2 year old child named Velma who is listed as the child of William and Annie. This is highly improbable as Annie would have been 59 at her birth. .According to my aunt Lavon Schwarzenholz Maggie McDonald was not married to the father of Velma at the time of her birth. Indeed the census in 1920 bears this out as Maggie is listed as single. By 1930, Maggie is living next door to her parents in Summerville with her husband of two years Orvil or Arvil Cooper. Only one child Trafford is listed in their residence. Velma is next door listed as Velma McDonald as a grandchild of William McDonald. . Cooper family information on World states that Maggie McDonald and Orvil Cooper had two children , Velma and Trafford. Mr Cooper is not Velma's natural father. He adopted her and this is confirmed by Gail Meeks who is a cousin of Trafford Cooper. Apparently after her parents deaths she filed suit against her adopted brother Lee and minor Jessie McDonald for partition of the estate. Entry reads. Maggie S Cooper vs Lee H McDonald and Jessie McDonald minor and partition guadian HP Massey Feb 24 1938“ and in later edition. July 22, 1943 Probate settlements Jessie McDonald deceased guardian HP Massey . Jessie must not have been Lee's daughter because she would not need a guardian. This leads me to believe she was Lillie's daughter, as William Jr. was long dead. It can be recalled that Jessie was in the William S McDonald household in 1930 listed as a granddaughter. Lillian is also in that household. I have listed Jessie on this disk as Lillian's daughter to give her a place in the lineage. She could not be Maggie McDonalds daughter and she and Maggie's son Trafford were born mere months apart. Regardless of parentage of Jessie on March 17 1938 a judge decided that the land was t be ordered to be sold and proceeds divided between Lee and Jessie, according to the Houston Herald. Updated info on Maggie , from her grandson Donnie Lee Cooper, it was rumored that Maggie had a different mother, a woman who was from a northern Illinois indian tribe. Although she does look Indian that rumour is not confirmed. Also more on the probate settlement Donnie had heard from Velma who is Maggie's daughter that Maggie and Lee did not talk after the settlement as she was resentful he got everything and was adopted. Maggie was a quiet woman and never spoke of her parents or siblings that Don knew of. Maggie had half a hand on one of her limbs either a birth defect or an accident. on a horse Updated info on Maggie gives her actual year of death as 1970 as she is interred in Cabool Cemetery next to her long departed husband Arval/Orval Cooper. See below info Burdine, Texas, MO Cabool City Cemetery * this is the one you are most interested in Arvel B. Cooper 1900 - 1940 beside Maggie S. Cooper 1898 - 1970
Married ABT 1929
Children: