New Britain herald., 1916-03-16
REV.DR. ]. W.COOPER
 DIES IN NEW YORK
(Continued From First Iagc.)

 rnany homes in New Britain. AS the able and untfring' administrator of the great church corporation of Which he was the head; as the eloquent preacher and keen student of human affairs; as the broadninded, chari- table and kindly pastor. Rev. pr. 1 Cooper occupied place in, New Britain which it will De extremely 1 hard to adequately fill. His resigna- | tion is not only a serious loss to the | church. but to the city at large for l whose best interests he was always an effective, but quiet and unostentatous worker Since, however, his decision is irrevocable, the members of his congregation and his fellow citizens will wish him hearty God-speed. in his new undertakings
 Dr. Cooper's Farewell. ra3
 On March 19.. 1903, Rev. Dr. Cooper conducted the last prayer meeting Qf his. career as pastor here. The at tendance was unusually large and at the Close of the meeting he delivered a simple but heartfelt, farewell aG- dress, saying. he would prefer to say it informally at that time than for mal1v in the pulpit the Following Sunday. He spoke feelinglv of the changes in the church and city dur ing 4hei twenty-five years that ha had been there and said that when he came here as young man Of 35 years he did not for a moment ir1ag- inc that he would remain there for a quarter of 8 century Speaking ot the church changes, lie remarked that during his pastorate the chapel had been built When he came heco the church had a debt of SS,00O and there was a S7,00O debt on the old Franklin Square parsonage. He was sent away for a time and when he returned he was gratified to find that s20,000 had been raised and the church debts eliminated He spoke of the gener- ous gifts of c. B. Erwin for the chap el and the generous s20,000 gift from Philip Corbin that had made the or gan possible. During his pastorate the church was entirely renovated at a cost of $9,000. The sum O. $S0, 900 was spent on the exterior of the church, he said, and about $250,0o0 had been donated for church work here. Outside work in New Britain, educational work in the United States and missions were given to about $200,000 during. his pastorate. Dr. Cooper stated that from MT. Erwin about s1,000,0OO had been given. for educational and missionary purposes.
 Looking to the membership, Dr. Cooper said during his farewell ad- dress that the church had increased from the 67o members when he came to over 114O and the families ir the church doubled. He reviewed the growth which necessitated 1he split ting of the church and tt,e organiza- tion of the Swedish Congregational church and predicted the necessity of what is now the Stanley M orial church in the eastern section of the city. Dr. Cooper told his friends that for 25 years he had averaged 400 services a year. He had worked hard, he said, and all of his prepara- tory work had been done after g o'clock at night and oftimes he sat up until and 4 o'clock in the morn ing preparing his sermons. In con- clusion Dr. Cooper paid a fitting tribute to Mrs. Cooper, who had all ways assisted him in his ministra- | tions. He said:
 Tribute to Mrs. Cooper.
 q have not done this work alone, l Mrs. Cooper has not sought public
 
 1 woman, but her infue1re and life l have been given as well as nain2 and 1 ntvc been as potent.'
 Dr. Cooper's long pastorato of @
 quarter of a century has been ex-
 ceoded in this city by on1y two other
 clergymen. Rev. Dr. John Smallev
 was lastor of the First Congregation-
 al church for ffty-five years and
 Rev. Luke Daily was pastor of St
 Mary's church for thirty years
 Newspaper clippings of thirty-eight
 years ago from Lockport, N. r.. pa
 Ders, reflect the great IovA which his
 congregation there had for Dr
 Cooper at the time of his coming tc
 this city.
 May of those who were present
 and vlo officiated at th4 installa tior
 of Dr. Cooper as pastor of the Soutr
 church sc long ago have s5si,A passed S'tnN. The services we "o held t,r
 March 2C 1878. The 13rlnon wat
 delivered by Rev N. J. B''rtnr, D. D.
 and the installation prayer was giver by Rev. A. $. Chesebrough. Rev. A F. Beard, D. D., delivered the charge to Dr. Cooper and Rev. A. ". Hazel of Middletown extended she rIch
 hand of fellowship. A short address
 was delivered by Rev. w. l.. Gage and the exercises closed with tllt , l benediction by Dr. Cooper. i Upon completing ten years as pas tor of tho South church Dr. anc ] ! Mrs. Cooper wero rendered a rccap , [ ,n by the I1adieG' Bernvo'cnt st,
 ciety. Tho event was one long to b. = re'ncnl]tTo' and among those wht ] were itesar- and spoke were Charle 3 | Peek, Fen. D. V. Camp, Dr. Lyon - Deacon Park and J. P. Bartlett. l Since resigning from the pastoral I "t .hn church Dr CoopA' has ire = fHcnt'" preached here ana his com t is las always been a signal fcr