The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-01-14
$4,000 FOR Y.M "A,
Willis W. Cooper Makes a Splendid
Provision for The Continuance OF
His Work for Young Men.
DREAMS MAY NOW BE REALIZED
VIII of Mr.. Cooper Provides for q Splendid
Gift for the Institution Which He
HonOred In Life.

| men of the city as it is announced this
morning that one o. the principal pro-
visions of the will of the deceased fac
tory manager is a bequest of ten thous-
and dollars to the Kenosha Branch of
the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton. The will contains several be-
quests TO institutions of a religious
nature, but this one is the most note
worthy and the one ia which Kenosha
people will be especially interested.
Other gifts to religious institutions
go to Lawrence University at Apple
ton and to the American Missionary
Society Of the Methodist church.
The gift made by Mr.. Cooper will
make it possible for the directors of
the Kenosha Association to realize
many of their fondest dreams and it is
probable that the association will at
once take some steps to expend the
money in manner to make it last
ing memorial to the life and work of
the generous donor.
Mr.. Cooper has been for many years
a Y. M. C. A. man. He had been
member of the association since his
boyhood days and when he came to
Kenosha he at once took an interest in
He has served as an officer in the asso-
citation for many years and at the time
of his death he was one of the directors
of the Kenosha branch. AS Y.M.C.A.
worker he was known far and wide and
he gave up much of his time and mon
ey to the work of the association. Mr..
Cooper was one of the men who urged
the construction Of the new building
in Kenosha and he stood at the guns
until the last dollar had been raised
for the payment of the debts incurred
by the building of the splendid Main
street structure. Thousands of dollars
have been given by Mr.. Cooper to ad-
vance the work of the association and
this splendid gift will be one that will
make his name known to Y. M. c. A.
boys in Kenosha so long as the associ-
alton endures.
In other portions of his will Mr..
Cooper makes . generous provision for
the members of his family. Much
of his fortune including large amount
of life insurance will go to the family
and the bequest to the Z. M. c. A. is
the largest g:ft to charity.
The warm friendship which existed
between the two deceased brothers is
shown in the will when Mr.. Cooper
makes bequest of FIVE thousand dol
lars to his brother, Charles F. Cooper.
When the will is filed in court an in
teresting question may be raised in re-
gard to the payment of this legacy.
Both Of the men were in the theatre
disaster and it will be impossible to
tell which of the two died first. Should
the court hold that C. r. Cooper was
the first to succumb to the smoke and
fire the legacy would lapse to the es-
tate, but should it be shown that WV.
Cooper was the first to die the legacy
would be handed down to the two
children of Charles Cooper. It is not
probable that there will be any contest
over this point but the attorneys of the
city have shown considerable interest
in it.
The gifts to the two institutions Of
the Methodist church are in keeping
with the lifelong work of Mr.. Cooper,
and both societies will be greatly
strengthened by the bequest. For
many years Mr.. Cooper has taken
great interest in Lawrence University.
This college is the principal educa-
tional institution of the Methodist
church in Wisconsin. It has many
students from Kenosha, and it was at
this University that the daughter of
Mr.. Cooper was educated. The amount
of the gift to,Lawrence is not stated,
but it is thought that it will be large.
The will provides that other legacies
be paid first and the residue of the
estate is to be divided between Law
renee, the Missionary society and other
legatees under the will.
For the past ten years Mr.. Cooper
has been leader Gin the Missionary
work in the Methodist church, and it
is probable that the settlement of the
estate will leave gift sufficiently
/ A01S AOA buS OoAAyAuS Jul Vi Tic WOIK
planned by him. Mr.. Cooper has taken
great deal of interest in the work Of
Bishop Hartzell in Africa, and it is
thought that the money left by him to
the Society will be used in furthering
this work.
The will has been fled for record,
but the provisions will not be made
public until Feb. 10, when the will will
be formally admitted to probate. The
order for hearing was issued this
morning, and the parties interested IN
the distribution Of the estate were the
widow, daughter, Mrs. Maude Cooper
Beachel; Henry Cooper, the Kenosha
branch of the Y. M. c. A., the Ameri-
can Missionary Society Of Appleton,
Wis.,; and Lawrence University of APP
pleton.
Charles Cooper did not leave a will
and his estate will be divided between
his two children Ralph and Charlotte
Cooper.
The value of the estate of Willis W.
Cooper is estimated at a hundred
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