Edna Gladys Cooper

Heather’s recollection of Mrs. Edna Cooper:

Edna Cooper was born January 29, 1913. She was a nurse at the Vancouver General Hospital when she met George Cooper from Mayo, Yukon. They married in 1946, after his discharge from the army, and moved to Whitehorse in 1949.

Edna and George Cooper became our neighbours in 1986 and I thought it was appropriate as my mother’s maiden name was Cooper. George built their home at 708 Wood Street. It had a connecting gate in the side fence to our back yard as they had been good friends over many years with the original occupants, Elsie and Wee Willie Anderson.

George passed away in the early 1990s and then Edna lived alone in her cozy, tidy house until late 2007 spending her last few months and 95th birthday at Copper Ridge Place.  Though she never drove, she maintained her independence by calling on a favourite taxi driver to ferry her for groceries and hair appointments. She was proud to be living on her own looking after herself well into her nineties. Edna’s neighbours on the side were Duke and Arlene Connelly and they were always available to lend a helping hand.  Duke checked in on her with his regular rounds of delivering the free Whitehorse Star for seniors. He also attended to household maintenance, dispensed advice, and served as her executor.

Edna did not have any children but was in close contact with a couple of nephews in the States. One used to drive up the highway with his young family for a few weeks in the summer to visit her. She held onto a camper in the backyard so they had a place to stay.  They always took Edna out for a drive to Carcross where she had so many happy memories of the cabin she and George had owned.

Walking by Edna’s house you could usually see her through the living room window stationed in her corner chair watching TV, knitting, and keeping an eye on passersby. 

She was a member of the Hospital Ladies Auxiliary and knitted countless baby bonnets for all the newborns. I’m sure my sons were among the recipients of her creations.

Edna was very kind and a wonderful neighbour to the boys growing up, particularly when there weren’t many children living downtown. She always remembered their birthdays with a card and joined in family celebrations. The kids thought she was the sole source of Mrs. Edna’s toffee candies and were quite surprised when they discovered Werther’s available in a store.

When my sister-in-law was visiting from Mexico she expressed an interest in learning to knit but didn’t know a word of English.  In her friendly fashion, Edna managed to overcome the communication barrier and taught her how to knit in short order.

Though Edna wasn’t involved in community groups, she kept well informed of current events and local goings-on. There was never a shortage of conversation if you stopped by for tea and we had many lively discussions.  Edna often went over to Clare Gordon-Cooper’s house on the corner with Arlene Connelly and another elderly neighbour, June, for a ladies’ get together to sort out the neighbourhood affairs. Duke called them the Wood St. mafia and tried to ignore their suggestions. 

For many years Edna, my mom, Millie Jones, and Alice Patnode took turns hosting dinner once a month enjoying each other’s company. Millie’s house in Carcross was a favourite destination. Edna’s longest friendship was with Muriel von Finster and they exchanged a phone call every evening just to check-in.

Edna was a nurse in her early years but George did not want her to continue working after their marriage. They took several winter vacations to exotic places like Hawaii and Thailand and Edna donated her holiday films and slides to Yukon Archives. Edna lived life with a calm, quiet, positive attitude and largely in good health. She’d had an early scare with breast cancer and was participating in an experimental treatment program to prevent recurrence. It was certainly a success and the only ailment troubling her was developing diabetes towards the end. 

One year, Edna decided to forego putting up a Christmas tree and brought all her antique ornaments over to my house so every Christmas season I am reminded of her gentle soul as we trim the tree.

A tribute to Edna Cooper by Alejandro Pulido:

Mrs. Edna was one of the kindest souls I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She was never one to shy away from leaning over the fence to say hello or making a comment that would put a smile on peoples’ faces.

She was my neighbour as I grew up and she helped my brother and me to develop a sense of responsibility and respect for our elders. While doing yard work for my own parents, all you would hear would be complaints. However, if Mrs. Edna needed a hand, we would even run over and initiate the interaction. Perhaps it was because we knew of the reward: Werther’s Original hard candies and at times even some Rochers.

She would invite us into her home and offer us a seat in one of her comfy rocking chairs and then have a conversation with her. She would ask about school and how we were doing. It was like having an extra grandmother.

Even in her final days she taught me a valuable lesson. Unfortunately, I did not take the opportunity to go and say a final goodbye in person. In this, she taught me to take advantage of opportunities today because they may not still be there tomorrow.

She will remain forever in our hearts.

A tribute to Edna Cooper by Ruth McCauley:

Soon after I retired in 1990, I received a phone call asking me if I would be interested in joining the Tuesday Senior Bowling League at Trapper’s Alley in Riverdale. I did not realize that this would be a major branching point in my life.

I soon befriended a much older lady named Edna, a member of our team. She was 73 years old at that time. Although Edna had difficulty walking, she was an avid bowler. After our game, I would take her downtown for coffee and to meet with friends, then take her home. She lived alone in a small house on Wood Street. Her husband had died a number of years before and she had no immediate family.

Over time, she entrusted me with many of her personal affairs. I visited with her once a week and she always had a list of things for me to take care of such as taking her to the bank, post office, dry cleaners, drugstore, groceries and doctor appointments. Then we went to A&W for coffee and met with friends there.

Edna had an easy-going personality. She did not fuss over house work or things in general. She shared letters, cards and pictures of her extended family.

Although Edna was mentally alert, as she aged her physical problems became more difficult for her. She needed more help than I or Home Care could provide. She suffered from congenital heart failure and also had increasing anxiety. She began to worry about the onset of winter. She was not feeling well and asked if I would make a doctor’s appointment for her

At the clinic, I had the opportunity to inform the receptionist of Edna’s condition. She was ninety-five and finding it difficult living alone. After Edna’s check-up at the clinic, the doctor admitted her to the hospital. 

When I visited Edna in the hospital she told me the doctor talked to her about living at Copper Ridge. At first, she seemed to accept the news, but as time passed and preparations began for the move, she became despondent. She was admitted to Copper Ridge in time for the Christmas festivities.

Although her physical needs were met, she longed to return to her home. She gradually willed herself to die, and her health continued to fail. She would say, “I want to fly away.”

Edna was admitted to the hospital in May, 2008. Unknowingly, I visited her for the last time. She was anxious and did not want to be alone. At home, I phoned her friend, Margaret, in Victoria, who was the executor of her will and had power of attorney. I said it was time to call on hospice for help.

At 6 a.m. the next morning, the phone rang. It was the hospital calling to tell me that Edna had died in her sleep. The nurse said Edna had given my name as the person to contact in the event of her death. She was 95 years old.

Helping her and being the one constant in her life for so many years, had a profound effect on me. I gained a wonderful, lifelong friend.

A Tribute by Gordon von Finster

Gordon von Finster stated that when he was a child in the early 50s, his family lived in a “skid” shack in the vicinity of Wood Street and 7th Avenue, where they were acquainted with the Coopers, who also lived in that vicinity. It was just outside the city limits at that time.

It was through the Finster children that the two families became friends. Edna had a wonderful rapport with children. She even looked after one of the Finster boys while the parents went on a holiday.

The Finsters moved permanently to a house at 3rd and Elliott St. and as a child Gordon and his brother, Harold, would visit the Coopers and Edna would always have a refreshing drink for them.  When Gordon was small and was introduced to Edna as Mrs. Cooper, he gave her the nickname of “Pookey.”

As an adult, Gordon continued to visit Edna from time to time. George and Edna loved Hawaii and went to Maui every winter for a holiday in their retirement years and Vern and Muriel visited them there in 1981. After George passed away Edna gave all of his old mechanical tools to Gordon, who still has them.

Gordon visited Edna when she was in Copper Ridge Place. He said that she was sharp and in good spirits but she said that this was probably the last time he would see her. She told him, “I’m ready to go. I want to just fly away with the birds…!”