Miami Union

March 3, 1910 

COOPER, MARTIN - Hetzlers Corner--Martin Cooper died February 25 at his home in Orange township, Shelby county, as a result of paralysis which had confined him to his bed for ten months.  He was born in the township in which he died on August 1, 1843, and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Cooper.  April 21, 1866, he was united in marriage with Miss Emily Potts, who, together with two sons, one daughter, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, survives him.  The funeral was held at 11;30 a.m., Sunday at the Fletcher Baptist church and was conducted by the Rev. J. B. Fenner of Sidney  Interment in Fletcher cemetery.  At the age of twenty he enlisted as a private in Company E, 71st O. V. I., where he served his country three years, was then mustered out, but reenlisted the next day and served until the close of the Civil war, making a continued service from April, 1862, to the winter of 1865.  He was made sergeant of his company.  Some of the local papers in reporting the death have it that he was the fifer of the drum corps of his company which is a mistake.  Johnny Pyle was the fifer yet Mr. Cooper could play the fife and since the close of the war his services have been in great demand to play the fife on Decoration day.  He was a member of the G. A. R. post in Sidney.  The pallbearers at his funeral were all Civil war veterans, namely, Cyrus Pogue, Joseph Hetzler, John C. Wones, John Knoop, Jonas Shellebarger and William Lane.  The two first named were comrades in his regiment.  The death of Mr. Cooper makes the third death in the past year of veterans of the 71st, the others being Benjamin H. Webster and David Lee.  Mr. Cooper made his home in North Miami county and South Shelby county all his life.  He had the respect of all he associated with and bore the reputation of being an honest, industrious citizen.

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