Ernest F Cooper 1887–1978

Catalog ID p.30 · Cite this page: njcoopers.com/p/30/

Ernest F Cooper was born on 21 Aug 1887 in Nickerson, Kans., the child of Charles Franklin Cooper and Catherine Jeanette (Wiley) Cooper. Ernest married twice: Minnie Belle McMillin (1910) and Evelyn Mae Evans (1943). Ernest died on 31 Jul 1978 in Versailles, Morgan Co., Missouri and was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery, Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri. Two children are recorded.

Facts

Event	Date	Place / detail	Certainty	Sources
birth	21 Aug 1887	Nickerson, Kans.	certain	B.127, D.263, J.445
residence	1910	Salt Creek Twp, Reno Co., Kansas	certain	D.796
residence	5 Jun 1917	Buhler, Kans., R.F.D. 2 (Clay precinct, Reno Co.)	certain	B.127
residence	1920	Salt Creek Twp, Reno Co., Kansas	certain	D.797
residence	1930	521 East 5th, Hutchinson, Reno Co., Kansas	certain	D.798
residence	1 Apr 1935	Hutchinson, Reno Co., Kansas	certain	D.799
residence	1940	E. 39th Street, Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri	certain	D.799
education	1940	High school, 4th year (highest grade completed)	certain	D.799
residence	1950	3319 Garfield Ave, Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri	certain	D.800
residence	1978	Versailles, Mo., formerly of Kansas City	certain	J.445
religion		Trinity United Methodist Church, Kansas City	certain	J.445
occupation	1910	Farmer, Gen Farm	certain	D.796
occupation	5 Jun 1917	Farmer, employed by my self, at Buhler Kans	certain	B.127
occupation	1920	Farming, Farm, own account	certain	D.797
occupation	1920	Enumerator, Fourteenth Census of the United States, E.D. 193, Salt Creek Twp, Reno Co., Kansas	certain	D.787, D.797
occupation	1930	book keeper, auto company (wage worker)	certain	D.798
occupation	1940	selling, Specialty House, own account	certain	D.799
occupation	1950	Shop work, Electric Lantern Co (private employer)	certain	D.800
occupation		Genessee Electric Lantern Co. (retired ~1955)	certain	J.445
death	31 Jul 1978	Versailles, Morgan Co., Missouri	certain	J.445, G.602
burial		Mount Moriah Cemetery, Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri	certain	G.602, J.445

Family

Parents

Father Charles Franklin Cooper 1861–1938 F.115, D.263
Mother Catherine Jeanette (Wiley) Cooper 1867–1908 F.115, D.263

Spouses

Minnie Belle (McMillin) Cooper 1886–1942
married 5 Jan 1910, home of Rev. S. E. Henry, Bedford, Taylor Co., Iowa
F.115
Evelyn Mae (Evans) Cooper 1906
married 26 Jun 1943, Jackson Co., Missouri
C.151, J.445

Siblings

Charles Levitt Cooper 1890–1982
Ward Walcott Cooper 1892–1986
Elden Cooper 1896–1981
Freddie Cooper 1900–1918
Ivan L. Cooper 1903–1981
Alma May (Cooper) Colle 1907–1951
Helen Maurine (Cooper) Redding 1914–2005 half

Children

Wyatt Wendell Cooper 1914–1991 J.445
Vera Ernestine Cooper about 1925 D.798

Family tree

Solid lines and outlines: certain. Dashed: probable or weaker. Open the full tree (four generations)

In the documents

Every published document that names Ernest F Cooper, in date order, with what that document itself records.

Date	Document	Role	What it records
7 May 1910	D.796 census population 1910 1910 U.S. census, Salt Creek Township, Reno Co., Kansas, E.D. 155, sheet 7A, lines 24-26 (dwelling and family 132)	head as "Cooper Earnest"	residence: 1910, Salt Creek Twp, Reno Co., Kansas occupation: 1910, Farmer, Gen Farm
5 Jan 1910	F.115 marriage return Iowa State Board of Health, Return of Marriages, County of Taylor, for the year ending 30 June 1910 — licence no. 58, the entry of Ernest Franklin Cooper and Mi…	groom as "Ernest Franklin Cooper"	residence: 3 Jan 1910, Hutchinson, Kansas occupation: 1910, Farmer
1 Mar 1915	E.32 census state kansas 1915 1915 Kansas state census, Population Schedule 1, Salt Creek Township, Reno Co., page 4 (left-hand page), lines 1-12	head as "Ernest F Cooper, 27"	residence: 1 Mar 1915, Salt Creek Twp, Reno Co., Kansas
5 Jun 1917	B.127 draft registration World War I draft registration card, Ernest F. Cooper, Clay precinct, Reno Co., Kansas, 5 June 1917 (form 521, No. 19)	registrant as "Ernest F. Cooper"	birth: 21 Aug 1887, Nickerson, Kans. residence: 5 Jun 1917, Buhler, Kans., R.F.D. 2 (Clay precinct, Reno Co.) occupation: 1917, Farmer, employed by my self, at Buhler Kans
1920	D.787 federal census 1920 US Federal Census, Salt Creek Township, Reno Co., Kansas, Sup. Dist. 7, ED 193, sheets 1B (lines 98-100) and 2A (lines 1-8), enumerated 28 January 1920 by …	enumerator as "Ernest F. Cooper"
1 Mar 1920	D.797 federal census 1920 U.S. census, Salt Creek Township, Reno Co., Kansas, S.D. 7, E.D. 193, sheet 6B, lines 73-76 (dwelling 131, family 132), enumerated 1 March 1920 (NARA T625 …	head as "Cooper Ernest F."	residence: 1920, Salt Creek Twp, Reno Co., Kansas occupation: 1920, Farming, Farm, own account birth: about 1888, Kansas
7 Apr 1930	D.798 federal census 1930 U.S. census, Hutchinson City (Precinct 15), Reno Co., Kansas, S.D. 8, E.D. 78-32, sheet 7B, lines 88-91 (521 East 5th; dwelling 176, family 170), enumerate…	head as "Cooper Ernest"	residence: 1930, 521 East 5th, Hutchinson, Reno Co., Kansas occupation: 1930, book keeper, auto company (wage worker)
6 Apr 1940	D.799 federal census 1940 U.S. census, Kansas City (Ward 7, block 5), Jackson Co., Missouri, S.D. 5, E.D. 116-128A, sheet 5A, lines 6-7 and 10 (E. 39th Street; households 91 and 92)…	other as "Cooper, Ernest"	residence: 1940, E. 39th Street, Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri residence 1935: 1 Apr 1935, Hutchinson, Reno Co., Kansas occupation: 1940, selling, Specialty House, own account education: 1940, High school, 4th year (highest grade completed)
5 Apr 1950	D.800 federal census 1950 U.S. census of population and housing, Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri, E.D. 116-500, sheet 6, lines 14-16 (3319 Garfield Ave; dwelling 72), sheet start…	head as "Cooper, Ernest F."	residence: 1950, 3319 Garfield Ave, Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri occupation: 1950, Shop work, Electric Lantern Co (private employer)

5 further documents not published (they may name living people).

Still unknown, and where we have looked

Searches recorded

ancestry all 2026-10-16 · SIGNED IN. 'U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918' (collection 6482): name Ernest F_Cooper, birth 1887 +/-2 -- 159 rows,...

Searched for: SIGNED IN. 'U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918' (collection 6482): name Ernest F_Cooper, birth 1887 +/-2 -- 159 rows, page 1 read. Run to close the todo raised from the [D.797] Suggested-records panel.

Result: FOUND -> [B.127]. He is the FIRST row and the only one of the 20 born in Kansas and resident in Reno County: record 30847277, image 005250475_04561. Birth date in his own hand: "August 21 1887", born "Nickerson, Kans" -- which promotes the FamilySearch tree's 21 Aug 1887 from a lead to a record, and corroborates [J.445]. His signature is the same hand as the 1920 census enumerator's, a third independent attestation of [D.797]/[D.787]. Medium height, medium build, RED hair, light blue eyes -- the only physical description the catalog holds of him. Farming on his own account at Buhler, R.F.D. 2, Clay precinct; dependents "Wife & Child"; no prior military service. Image downloaded and filed.

ancestry all 2026-10-16 · SIGNED IN. 1950 U.S. census (collection 62308): name Ernest F_Cooper, birth 1887 +/-2 -- 516 rows. He is the FIRST, because the index...

Searched for: SIGNED IN. 1950 U.S. census (collection 62308): name Ernest F_Cooper, birth 1887 +/-2 -- 516 rows. He is the FIRST, because the index carries his household members and one of them is Ira Dean, the stepson named in [J.445].

Result: FOUND and opened -> [D.800]. Record 139699215, image 43290879-Missouri-183012-0007 = Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri, E.D. 116-500, sheet 6, lines 14-16, 3319 Garfield Ave, dwelling 72; sheet started 5 Apr 1950 by Leah Kerr. Evelyn M., wife, 44, b. MISSOURI -- her first recorded age and birthplace anywhere, which is what her three failed 2026-10-15 searches lacked. "Evans, Ira Dean", 21, son, never married, b. Missouri, "Fly-boy" at a printing company. His industry is "Electric Lantern Co", corroborating [J.445]'s Genessee Electric Lantern Co. five years before his retirement. Image downloaded and filed.

ancestry all 2026-10-16 · SIGNED IN. 1940 U.S. census (collection 2442): name Ernest_Cooper, birth 1887 +/-2 -- 331 rows, page 1 read. This gap had NEVER been...

Searched for: SIGNED IN. 1940 U.S. census (collection 2442): name Ernest_Cooper, birth 1887 +/-2 -- 331 rows, page 1 read. This gap had NEVER been searched in any form; it was the only one of his five censuses with no prior sighting at all, and no suggested-records panel had offered it.

Result: FOUND -> [D.799]. Record 90196520, image m-t0627-02171-00012 = Kansas City Ward 7, Jackson Co., Missouri, E.D. 116-128A, sheet 5A, line 6, enumerated 6 Apr 1940 by Helen M. May. He is a ROOMER, with Minnie a roomer on line 7 -- which is what identified him -- and their daughter Ernestine, 15, a roomer in the NEXT household on line 10. All three give their 1 Apr 1935 residence as Hutchinson, Reno, Kansas, so the move to Missouri falls between April 1935 and April 1940. Minnie's col. 25 reads U, unable to work (read at 8x; the enumerator's S on line 10 is plainly a different letter). Image downloaded and filed.

ancestry all 2026-10-16 · SIGNED IN. 1930 U.S. census (collection 6224): name Ernest_Cooper, birth 1887 +/-2 -- 473 rows, page 1 read and filtered on birthplace...

Searched for: SIGNED IN. 1930 U.S. census (collection 6224): name Ernest_Cooper, birth 1887 +/-2 -- 473 rows, page 1 read and filtered on birthplace Kansas. Run to OPEN the row recorded index-only on 2026-10-07.

Result: FOUND and opened -> [D.798]. Record 33545961, image 4584473_00493 = Hutchinson City, Precinct 15, Reno Co., Kansas, S.D. 8, E.D. 78-32, sheet 7B, lines 88-91, 521 East 5th, dwelling 176, family 170, enumerated 7 Apr 1930 by Adelaide Holmes. Image downloaded and filed; all four rows read on census_stitch stitches. He is off the farm -- OWNS a $2,000 house with a radio and keeps books for an auto company. "Age at first marriage 22" corroborates an Aug 1887 birth against the 1910 licence. Col. 20 reads "Unknown", where Ancestry's index says "United States" -- an index error, recorded as the document has it.

ancestry all 2026-10-16 · SIGNED IN. HIS SECOND MARRIAGE, to Evelyn Mae, for which the catalog had no date, place or maiden name. 'Missouri, U.S., Marriage...

Searched for: SIGNED IN. HIS SECOND MARRIAGE, to Evelyn Mae, for which the catalog had no date, place or maiden name. 'Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002' (collection 1171), name Ernest F_Cooper, no other binding -- 694 rows, page 1 read. Then the two further Missouri collections the [D.797] Suggested-records panel had named: 'Missouri, U.S., Jackson County Marriage Records, 1840-1985' (coll. 8700, record 250507) and 'Web: Jackson County, Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1826-2014'.

Result: FOUND, on the FIRST TWO ROWS -> [C.151]. "Ernest F Cooper, 55, b. abt 1888, m. 26 Jun 1943, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, spouse EVELYN MAE EVANS" -- the one event indexed twice, and confirmed in coll. 8700 with certificate number 1943A0097287. INDEX ONLY in both; no image is served, so the ages, residences, prior marital status and officiant a Missouri return normally carries are all still unread. The certificate number is the handle for ordering it. "Evans" is a prior married surname, not a maiden name -- her children are Evans and Langley [J.445]. New person file Evelyn Mae (Evans) Cooper.

ancestry all 2026-10-16 · SIGNED IN. 1920 U.S. census (collection 6061): name Ernest_Cooper, birth 1887 +/-2, no place binding -- 465 results, page 1 read and...

Searched for: SIGNED IN. 1920 U.S. census (collection 6061): name Ernest_Cooper, birth 1887 +/-2, no place binding -- 465 results, page 1 read and filtered on birthplace Kansas. Run to OPEN the row that this file's 2026-10-07 ancestry-all entry had recorded as "FOUND (index only)" and left unopened for nine days.

Result: FOUND and opened -> [D.797]. "Ernest F Cooper / Minnie B / Salt Creek, Reno, Kansas / abt 1888 / Kansas / Head", record 106888021, image 4300863_00427 = S.D. 7, E.D. 193, sheet 6B, lines 73-76, dwelling 131, family 132, enumerated 1 Mar 1920. Image downloaded and filed; household read on census_stitch stitches. The enumerator's signature on the sheet is HIS OWN -- settled by cropping [D.787]'s sheet 1B in the identical window at the same 8x, where the same hand reads "Ernest F. Cooper" plainly.

findagrave 2026-10-15 · Widow Evelyn Mae Cooper: Find a Grave Evelyn Mae Cooper, d. 1990 +/-10 (location filter resolved to Mississippi, not Missouri -...

Searched for: Widow Evelyn Mae Cooper: Find a Grave Evelyn Mae Cooper, d. 1990 +/-10 (location filter resolved to Mississippi, not Missouri - invalid); Evelyn Cooper, d. after 1978, same filter (invalid); Evelyn Cooper, Missouri as free text (1,213, unfiltered - first page no Versailles/Kansas City match).

Result: Not resolved - the location filter did not apply Missouri. Re-run with the correct Missouri location id.

google 2026-10-15 · Widow: "Evelyn Mae Cooper" Versailles OR "Kansas City" Evans Langley.

Searched for: Widow: "Evelyn Mae Cooper" Versailles OR "Kansas City" Evans Langley.

Result: NULL - no exact-phrase result.

ancestry all 2026-10-15 · Widow: all collections, Evelyn Mae Cooper, death 1978+, keyword Versailles.

Searched for: Widow: all collections, Evelyn Mae Cooper, death 1978+, keyword Versailles.

Result: Untightened (1,052,775 results); not read. Needs a birth year, which is not known (her children are Evans/Langley, so a prior marriage to an Evans).

ancestry all 2026-10-07 · Ernest F Cooper, b. 1887 +/-2, Kansas, spouse Minnie

Searched for: Ernest F Cooper, b. 1887 +/-2, Kansas, spouse Minnie

Result: FOUND (index only): 1920 Salt Creek (Minnie B, Wyatt W 5, mother-in-law Fidelia McMillen 66); 1925 KS state census Hutchinson (Minnie B 39, Wyatt Wendel 10, Vera Ernestine 8m, Fidelia McMillian 71); 1930 Hutchinson (Minnie 44, Wyatt 15, Vera Ernestine 5); Find a Grave 1887-1978, Mount Moriah Cemetery, Kansas City MO.

familysearch tree 2026-10-07 · Ernest Cooper, b. 1885-1901, father Charles Cooper, mother Nettie

Searched for: Ernest Cooper, b. 1885-1901, father Charles Cooper, mother Nettie

Result: KVWV-HXF Ernest Franklin Cooper, 21 Aug 1887 Nickerson - 31 Jul 1978 Versailles MO; children Wyatt Wendell, Vera Ernestine; wife listed as 'Minnie Belle Yoke'.

findagrave 2026-10-10 · Memorial 242255111 (known from the Find a Grave index) fetched.

Searched for: Memorial 242255111 (known from the Find a Grave index) fetched.

Result: -> [G.602].

newspapers com 2026-10-10 · SIGNED IN. 'Ernest F. Cooper' quoted, 31 Jul - 15 Aug 1978 (0); Ernest Cooper Versailles, 31 Jul - 31 Aug 1978 (74).

Searched for: SIGNED IN. 'Ernest F. Cooper' quoted, 31 Jul - 15 Aug 1978 (0); Ernest Cooper Versailles, 31 Jul - 31 Aug 1978 (74).

Result: Kansas City Times 1 Aug 1978 obituary -> [J.445].

genealogybank 2026-10-07 · SIGNED IN (chris_2535). Ernest Cooper, keyword Versailles

Searched for: SIGNED IN (chris_2535). Ernest Cooper, keyword Versailles

Result: No obituary found.

Documents

B.127 World War I draft registration card, Ernest F. Cooper, Clay precinct, Reno Co., Kansas, 5 June 1917 (form 521, No. 19)
D.263 1900 US Federal Census, Salt Creek Township, Reno Co., Kansas (Enumeration District 215, enumerated 18 Jun 1900) — the Charles F. Cooper household (Charles 39, Nettie 33, and sons Ernest, Levitt, Ward, Elden, Freddie).
D.769 1910 U.S. census, Salt Creek Township, Reno Co., Kansas, E.D. 155, sheet 7A, lines 10-18
D.796 1910 U.S. census, Salt Creek Township, Reno Co., Kansas, E.D. 155, sheet 7A, lines 24-26 (dwelling and family 132)
D.797 1920 U.S. census, Salt Creek Township, Reno Co., Kansas, S.D. 7, E.D. 193, sheet 6B, lines 73-76 (dwelling 131, family 132), enumerated 1 March 1920 (NARA T625 roll 546)
D.798 1930 U.S. census, Hutchinson City (Precinct 15), Reno Co., Kansas, S.D. 8, E.D. 78-32, sheet 7B, lines 88-91 (521 East 5th; dwelling 176, family 170), enumerated 7 April 1930 (NARA T626; FHL microfilm 2340452)
D.799 1940 U.S. census, Kansas City (Ward 7, block 5), Jackson Co., Missouri, S.D. 5, E.D. 116-128A, sheet 5A, lines 6-7 and 10 (E. 39th Street; households 91 and 92), enumerated 6 April 1940 (NARA T627 roll m-t0627-02171)
D.800 1950 U.S. census of population and housing, Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri, E.D. 116-500, sheet 6, lines 14-16 (3319 Garfield Ave; dwelling 72), sheet started 5 April 1950 (NARA roll 5062, NAID 43290879)
F.115 Iowa State Board of Health, Return of Marriages, County of Taylor, for the year ending 30 June 1910 — licence no. 58, the entry of Ernest Franklin Cooper and Minnie Belle McMillin. Bound register opening, document 87-1603, certified by the Clerk of the District Court 1 July 1910.