Biography - GEORGE R. COOPER
Judge George R. Cooper,
a member of the firm of Lane & Cooper, probably the oldest law firm of
southern Illinois, has attained to a distinguished position in connection
with his profession. He was born in Greencastle, Indiana, on the 25th of
July, 1855. His father, Jacob R. Cooper, was a native of Maysville,
Kentucky, and was of Scotch-Irish descent. He was a mechanic who learned and
followed the carpenter's trade and throughout his business career commanded
the respect and confidence of his fellow men. He removed from Kentucky to
Indiana and became one of the influential and leading citizens of the
neighborhood. A man well informed, he kept in touch with all ideas of modern
progress and improvement and was the champion of every measure that tended
to promote the welfare of his community. Although reared in a southern state
he was an ardent abolitionist and was a most consistent member of the
Methodist church. He died in November, 1877, at the age of sixty-one years.
His wife, who bore the maiden name of Eliza Robinson, was also a native of
Kentucky and with her parents removed to Indiana, her father becoming one of
the pioneer farmers of that state. Earlier generations of the family resided
in Virginia. Her father was also a Methodist in religious faith and in his
political views was a Republican. In 1858 Jacob R. Cooper removed with his
family to Illinois, settling near Coffeen. Unto him and his wife were born
six children: Sarah M. became the wife of James M. Moore, who served his
country as a soldier in the Civil war and died in 1878; Mary A. became the
wife of Dayton T. Miller and after his death married John Deitrick, of
Greencastle, Indiana; Louisa J. became the wife of Harmon Young, a school
teacher residing in Greenville, Bond county, Illinois, and her death
occurred in August, 1871; William H. is a traveling salesman residing in St.
Louis; George R. is the fifth of the family; and John R. is a coal miner at
Coffeen, Illinois.
In the district schools George R. Cooper acquired his preliminary education,
which was supplemented by study in Hillsboro Academy. He afterward engaged
in teaching, following that profession for two terms in Bond county and for
seven years in Fillmore township, but the profession of law attracted him
and he entered the office of Rice, Miller & McDavid in 1880. He there read
for about two years, teaching school in the winter months. He afterward
spent a year in the office of Judge Edward Lane and was admitted to the bar
in 1882. Through the succeeding winter he again engaged in teaching and then
entered the office of Judge Lane, but thirty days later, entirely without
his solicitation, was elected city attorney. After his first year in that
office, in the spring of 1883, he formed a partnership with Judge Lane and
the business connection has continued without interruption to the present
time, this being probably the oldest law firm in southern Illinois. Mr.
Cooper was elected twice to the office of city attorney, was chosen to fill
a vacancy in the position of county judge occasioned by the death of Judge
Lewis Allen, in November, 1891, and in 1894 was chosen for the full term. He
was nominated for supreme judge on the Republican ticket at Vandalia in 1901
to fill a vacancy occasioned by the death of Judge Jesse J. Phillips. He has
won distinction at the bar and on the bench. A man of unimpeachable
character, of strong intellectual endowments, with a thorough understanding
of the law, patience, urbanity and industry, he took to the bench the very
highest qualifications for this responsible position in the state government
and his record as a judge has been in harmony with his record as a man and a
lawyer, distinguished by unswerving integrity and a masterful grasp of every
question which was presented for solution. In the private practice of law
his clientage has been of a most important character and the firm of Lane &
Cooper is always connected with every important litigated interest of the
district. Mr. Cooper is also a director and stockholder in the Hillsboro
National Bank.
On the 10th of June, 1886, occurred the marriage of George R Cooper and Miss
Nettie Ireland, a daughter of Dr. H. M. and Sarah Ireland, of Columbia City,
Indiana, where Mrs. Cooper was born. Her death occurred February 24, 1887,
when she was twenty-six years of age. On the 12th of December, 1894, Judge
Cooper wedded Estelle S. Allen, a daughter of Professor A. P. and Josephine
Allen, the latter a niece of William M. Springer. Her father is a graduate
of Asbury University of Greencastle, Indiana, and had charge of the schools
in Hillsboro as principal for some time. He and his family were residents of
Erie, Kansas, at the time of the marriage of Judge and Mrs. Cooper. The
latter was born at Sullivan, Indiana, in 1873, and was liberally educated.
Judge Cooper has four children: Josephine, Lane, Mary and George R, Jr.
Both the Judge and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
He is identified with the Masonic fraternity, the Modern Woodmen Camp and
the Business Men's Club. In politics he is a Republican and he takes an
active and helpful interest in community affairs. He was the first president
of the board of education under the present law and served in that capacity
for seven years, his labors being effective and greatly promoting the school
interests of the city. He is also one of the trustees of his church, takes a
very active part in church work and is now serving as a member of the
official board. Faultless in honor, fearless in conduct and stainless in
reputation, he is no less honored in public than loved in private life.
Extracted 11 Apr 2020 by Norma Hass from 1904 Past and Present of Montgomery County, Illinois, by Jacob L. Traylor, pages 24-28.
