Evening times-Republican., 1903-11-19
A. B. COOPER DEAD
Old Resident of Marshalltown
and Former Well-Known
Business Man
PLAYED ON FIRST BALL TEAM
of Captain "Ada' Anson's
First Club, Which Was Champion
Iowa Team = Member of the City
Council From 1868 = Was Once a
Leading Grocer of the City,

a letter received this morning py
Miss Margaret Caswell announces the
death At Texarkana. Tex, of A. B
Cooper, a former we'll known business
man of this city Mr.. Cooper died Tues
day at his home in Texarkana. after an
illness with acute stomach ana power
trouble. He had been sufferer with
the trouble at different times for many
years. but the illness that terminated
in his death was of short duration.
Mr.. Cooper was one of the most
prominent business men in the city in
an early day, and for years was in the
grocery business with Fl. v. Speers,
under the firm name of Cooper &
Speers. He moved to TeXarkana Sep
tember 9. 1902. and has been i'll the fuel
business there. In recent years. before
leaving Marshalltown, he was connect
ed with the Southwestern Mutual Life
Insurance Company. until the offices
of the company We're closed.
Axel Banner copper was 90 years of
age and was born in Cattaraugus coun-
ty, New York. He moved to Illinois
in an early day, and located at Bush
nell. He came here in 1864. and en-
tered the office of Harry Gerhart, then
county treasurer, as deputy. After
concluding his public duties he entered
the employ of Jabez Banbury and O.
Caswell, comprising the firm of Ban
bury & Caswell, grocers. which was
then located in the room now occupied
by A. NJ. Friend & Sons. for many
years the old Cooper & Speers place
of business. In the fall OF 1867 he
formed a copartnership with H. v.
speers, and bought out the grocery
business Of Porter & Ginder, then To-
Gated in an old frame building stand
ing where the p. A. Stern store now
is. In October, 1870, Cooper & Speers
bought out Hasty & Watson. who had
succeeded Jones & Devenpeck. success
sors to Banbury & Caswell. and took
possession of the building which was
occupied for so many years by Cooper
y Speers. Sherman Washburn, now
president of the Bank Of Pasadena, CAL,
was then member Of the firm. which
was known as Cooper, Speers & Wash
burn. This copartnerShip continued un-
I'll 1875, when Mr. Cooper retired.
Speers & Washburn continued the bus
mess until 1873. when the Washburn
interest was acquired by Mr.. Cooper.
Cooper & Speers continued the business
until Thanksgiving day, 1895.
Mr. Cooper was one OF the early ball
players of the city, and was mem
Der OF Capt Ada Anson's first club,
which had among its members Hon.
Henry Anson. "Sturg" Anson, Kinney
Williams and Lutte" Green. In those
days base ball fourished in Marshall
town, and the team was the champion
OF the state, the park being located
where the court house now stands. Mr.
Cooper had the position Of frst base on
the champion team. and was considered
one OF its best players. Mr.. Cooper was
elected member of the city council
from the First ward in 1886. and served
one term OF two years.
Mr.. Cooper is survived by his wife,
one son and one daughter. The son,
Burt Cooper. of Texarkana, and the
daughter, Miss Ethelyn Cooper, who is
employed as a stenographer in the au
diting department Of the Iowa Central
and NJ. & St. L., at Minneapolis. A
brother. Joseph Cooper, living on a
farm near Bushnell, Ill, also survives
him, as does q sister. who lives near
Bushnell. Another brother. Cyril, lives
in the state OF Washington.