Donald Lee Cope, 79, Neosho, passed on Wednesday, June 24, 2009.
He was born Nov. 23, 1929, in Newton County, at Grandma Cope’s house, to Forrest and Lillie Marie (Goodson) Cope.
Mr. Cope attended the West Benton rural school for the first eight years, then attended Neosho High School, graduating in 1947. He then attended Joplin Junior College (now MSSU), attended Abilene Christian College for one year (1955-1956) and graduated from Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kan., with a bachelor’s of science in elementary education in 1964. He later attended the University of Arizona and graduated with a med degree in 1994. At the age of 18, he started teaching in the rural schools of Newton County, first teaching at Reagan, a one-room rural school, then two years at Birch, and one year at Edgewood.
In 1951, he went into the Army and graduated from the combat infantryman basic at Camp Roberts, Calif. He attended the administrative specialist school, then transferred to Fort Benning, Ga. to attend “jump school” to become a paratrooper. He was transferred to Ft. Campbell, Ky. and was with the 11th Airborne until he left the service in October 1953, and was discharged as staff sergeant. He received the Good Conduct Medal, Expert Markmanship Metal, and the State of Missouri Korean War Medal. After returning home to live at Grandmother Cope’s , he taught the upper four grades at Silver Moon Rural School.
In 1955, he met and married Marcia Jane Mitts on June 4, 1955. They were married at his parent’s house in Tulsa, Okla., since they were both working in Tulsa that summer.
He then accepted the position of elementary principal at Westview, west of Neosho, from 1956-1961; then taught junior high science in Seneca for a year. He then accepted the position as assistant chief of police for the city of Neosho from 1962-1964; then taught fourth grade in Joplin, for a year before returning to Westview as elementary principal, again from 1965-1969.
He then purchased, owned and operated the Town & Country Furniture Store on the east side of the Neosho Square, later selling it to his brother, Ralph. Following the sale of the furniture store, he taught junior high science at Palominas School near Bisbee, Ariz., for three years, then returned to Westview as superintendent/principal for three more years before accepting the position as elementary principal/transportation director for the Wheaton School District from 1977-1990. He then drove a school bus for another three years.
While living in Wheaton, he accepted the position as municipal judge for 10 years.
