The funeral for Donald Ray Cosper, 88 will be at 10:00 AM Monday June 24, 2024 at First United Methodist Church where he had been a member for years. He was Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for many years and was the church’s “Honey-Do- Man. Services will be officiated by Rev. Sandy Shepherd. Burial will follow at Hennessey Cemetery under the direction of Cordry-Gritz Funeral Home.
Don was born May 6, 1936 in the Pawhuska Hospital in Pawhuska, Oklahoma to David Carlton and Ardith Grayum Cosper. The family moved to McLeansboro, IL in 1942. Don graduated from McLeansboro High School in 1954. He married Patricia Wylie on April 1, 1958. To this union two children were born, Starla Lynn and Donald Blake.
Don started working at an early age as a farmer’s helper, he then worked as a butcher in the local grocery store. He later went to work in the oilfield and in 1969 moved his family to Healdton OK. In 1976 he went to work for Sun Oil Co. and retired from Kerr- McGee Oil Co. in 2001.
He played Merchant Softball in Illinois playing approximately 100 games per summer. The league consisted of other teams and some penitentiaries. He and his teammate Carl Mauck (later a San Diego Charger) had many fun stories about those days. Don’s favorite story was when he broke his arm during a game, iced it in the dugout, continued to play center field and then hit a home run over the fence a few innings later. Don raced cars in high school, unbeknownst to his parents. He was beaten only once in four counties. He went through seventeen transmissions during his racing career. The local dealer sold him transmissions at cost and labor free because Don’s racing proved to other boys that the dealer sold fast cars. Don was a sort of marketing expert for the dealer!
Don was a member of Hennessey United Methodist Church, Powder and String Club and the Hennessey Lions Club. He was also volunteer of the year at Canton Lake. They spent many summers camping with their Hennessey friends and fur babies at Canton. There was a special place in Don’s heart for the children of Hennessey each Christmas when he was Santa. He enjoyed this honor for several years. Don was an avid sports fan! He loved his St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs and Pro Basketball. He also loved college sports and was a huge Boomer Sooner Softball fan!!! There was never a moment that he wasn’t listening to or watching some kind of sports.
Don is survived by his wife Pat of sixty-six years, daughter Starla, son Blake, five grandchildren Teysa Woodward, Laryn Ann Fuksa, Cody Cosper, Katie Cosper, four great-grandchildren, Braelyn Donn Fuksa, Samuel Todd Battiest, Taetym Ann Fuksa-
Sanders, and Ayla Ruth Fuksa-Sanders; one brother Harold and wife Jackie Cosper of Logan, Ohio, and Bodhi his little fur baby.
Don was preceded in death by his parents and one grandson Michael Bradyn Fuksa. Memorial donations may be made in his name to Furever Friends Animal Rescue in Enid with the funeral home serving as custodian of the fund.
Honorary pallbearers are Jack Bowers, Floyd Hardin, Ross Hardin, Donnie Smith, Dave Stover, Brad Ruphard, and Larry Settle