The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-05-09
]. F. COOPER
80 YEARS OLD
Said He Won't Retire
From Activity-Oelebrated
Natal Day May s


ated in the opinion of J. F. Coop
er. It's to be lived.
One of the few oldtimers on the
street today who saw the business
scene revamped time and again
from the days when Grover Cleve-
lands administration knocked the
bottom rung out of the real estate
ladder. who has seen more than 60
years of innovation, Fred Cooper
now long past the years when a lot
OF much younger men reach for
the slippers on the shelf-is still
active on the business scene.
He'll probably not retire at all,
he pointed out as we entered the
office-the same office he's graced
since 1888. He was smoking his
pipe as is his custom. He won't
retire for that's what takes the
Giving" out of old age is his con-
viction.
He can speak with some
authority on the philosophy of
age. 1t appears. Sunday, when
members of his family gather
ed with him and observed the
anniversary of May 5th in 1860,
Fred Cooper was 80 years old.
His comment: 81 don't see
why people make such a fuss
over old age"
Born in New York state, Mr..
Cooper as a lad of IL came to this
community with his parents. His
father was cabinet maker, he re-
calls, who decided to go farming.
That decision met with reverse in
the first instance. IT guess his first
farm in the southern part of the
state was the worst in Minnesota"
he laughingly said. Father found
it out"
No sooner did he find it out than
he purchased farm in Ashley
community and young Fred came
with the family to Sank Centre.
That arrival in 1872 started num-
Der Of things. One that he became
a member of the first graduating
class of the high school in Sank
Centre. Another that he served on
the board of education for more
than 40 years. Another that for 81
years he's occupied the same office
on Main Street; has distracted,
handled real estate, insurance, and
business for some families for for
ty or fifty years.
There's yearn behind each one.
He almost missed out being in that
first graduating class of which he
is the only one of two living men,
bers who reside in Sank Centre.
when you think of what we had
in that class it's a wonder any one
had the nerve to call it a high
school," he observed chuckling.
"But then some of them didn't do
bad either"
Fresh from school the young Mr..
Cooper cast around for something
to do. Nearest work was with his
father in the building business, for
which he got a dollar and half a
day and one raise. But the winter
layoff irked him, so he went to
clerking In srKeller's factory. He
did other clerking and other work
in those early years.
Then in 1888 he landed in the Of
flee over the National Bank Build
ing that has never seen any other
save him and the ear
lier Mr.. Whitney. At first he tried
the insurance game, met with
startling reverses. "You know" he
said, II just wasn't cut out for
that"
So abstracting, real estate, and
other features of accounting and
clerking became part of his bust
ness. Today J. F. Cooper, white
haired, active beyond his years, is
only one of two abstractors in this
county.
After that brief historical sketch,
he settled back in his swivel chair
a little, and gave vent to his feel
ings on old age. If people keep
busy, he feels, they'll be happy, age
or no. That includes the premise
that one has health and soundness
of body and mind. He's profound
student in the school that teaches
you're as old as you feel.
But he summed up the whole
philosophy like this: eff we keep
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