Lewis Sanford Cooper 1825–1905
Catalog ID p.42 · Cite this page: njcoopers.com/p/42/
Lewis Sanford Cooper was born on 26 Feb 1825 in Warren County, New Jersey, the son of Joseph Cooper. He married Mary Jane Jones (1849). He died on 29 Jul 1905 in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, California and was buried at Santa Maria Cemetery District, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, California. Seven children are recorded.
Facts
| Event | Date | Place / detail | Certainty | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| birth | 26 Feb 1825 | Warren County, New Jersey | certain | G.133 (Find A Grave Memorial 70788117) |
| residence | 1885 | [Grant?] Twp, Reno Co., Kansas | certain | E.17 |
| residence | 1 Jun 1900 | Seventh Township, Santa Barbara Co., California | certain | D.268 |
| death | 29 Jul 1905 | Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, California | certain | F.316, G.133 |
| burial | Santa Maria Cemetery District, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, California | certain | G.133 |
Family
Parents
- Father Joseph Cooper 1785–1852
Spouses
- Mary Jane (Jones) Cooper 1827–1880married 27 May 1849, Wyandot Co., OhioC.135, D.18
Siblings
- George Monroe Cooper 1830–1913
- Margaret Elisabeth (Cooper) Johnson 1832–1896
- Caleb Swayze Cooper 1834–1913
- Calvin Chandler Cooper 1836–1919
- Robert Marshall Cooper 1838–1913
Children
- George M Cooper Jr 1850–1936
- Sarah Eliza (Cooper) Gingrich 1855–1920
- Andrew Peter Cooper 1858–1934
- Marinda Cooper 1859
- Susan Elsie (Cooper) Howerton 1867–1945
- Charles Franklin Cooper 1861–1938
- Joseph Benjamin Cooper 1852–1908
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 Lewis Sanford Cooper, in date order, with what that document itself records.
| Date | Document | Role | What it records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1827 | G.633 cemetery memorial Find a Grave memorial 129168842, 'Mary Jane Jones Cooper' (1827-1880), burial details unknown |
spouse as "Lewis Sanford Cooper (1825-1905)" |
|
| 27 May 1849 | C.135 marriage record Wyandot County, Ohio, marriage license affidavit no. 358 (vol. 1 p. 117) and marriage record (vol. 1 p. 140), Lewis S. Cooper and Mary Jane Jones, May 1849 — Fa… |
groom as "Lewis S. Cooper" |
marriage: 27 May 1849, Wyandot Co., Ohio |
| 9 Jun 1854 | A.211 probate receipts Warren Co., N.J. Surrogate — Receipts and Discharges 1825-1867 vol. 1-3, book pages 140-143 and 449-452: seven receipts to Edward Chandler, administrator of Jos… |
distributee as "Lewis S. Cooper" |
|
| 1 Jun 1855 | E.16 state census 1855 New Jersey State Census, Warren County, Third Election District (the Township of Independence), enumerated from 1 June 1855 by Robert S. Garison[?], assess… |
head as "Lewis S. Cooper" |
|
| 1855 | G.589 cemetery memorial Find a Grave memorial 140271250, Sarah Eliza Cooper Gingrich (1855-1920), Santa Maria Cemetery District, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara Co., California |
parent as "Lewis Sanford Cooper" |
|
| 1 Mar 1885 | E.17 state census 1885 Kansas state census, Schedule 7 (Deaf and Dumb, Blind, Idiotic and Insane), [Grant?] Township, Reno County, Kansas, lines 1-2 — FamilySearch DGS 007841185,… |
listed as "Lewis S. Cooper" |
residence: 1885, [Grant?] Twp, Reno Co., Kansas |
| 1 Jun 1900 | D.268 federal census 1900 US Federal Census, Schedule No. 1 Population - Seventh Township, Santa Barbara Co., California; S.D. 6, E.D. 161, sheet 2A; enumerated 1 June 1900 by Edw. … |
household member as "Cooper, Lewis S." |
residence: 1 Jun 1900, Seventh Township, Santa Barbara Co., California |
| 29 Jul 1905 | F.316 death certificate California State Board of Health, duplicate certificate of death, Santa Barbara County, local registered no. 14, Louis S. Cooper, 29 July 1905 (register page 7)… |
deceased as "Louis S. Cooper" |
death: 29 Jul 1905, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara Co., California |
| 1905 | G.133 find a grave memorial Find a Grave memorial 70788117 - Lewis Sanford Cooper, Santa Maria Cemetery District, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, California |
deceased as "Lewis Sanford Cooper" |
birth: 26 Feb 1825, Warren County, New Jersey death: 29 Jul 1905, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, California burial: Santa Maria Cemetery District, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, California |
| 1908 | G.130 find a grave memorial Find a Grave memorials 15136843, 42112931, 37389902 and 15136864 - Joseph Benjamin Cooper (West End Cemetery, Stephenville, Texas) and his sons James Henry, Joh… |
parent as "Lewis Sanford Cooper" |
4 further documents not published (they may name living people).
Still unknown, and where we have looked
Searches recorded
genealogybank 2026-10-04 · SIGNED IN (chris_2535). (a) Lewis Cooper, California papers, 29 Jul - 31 Dec 1905 (0 results); (b) Louis Cooper, same (8 results).
Searched for: SIGNED IN (chris_2535). (a) Lewis Cooper, California papers, 29 Jul - 31 Dec 1905 (0 results); (b) Louis Cooper, same (8 results).
Result: No Santa Barbara County title among the hits. (b) = San Francisco Chronicle and Call 11 Nov 1905, Los Angeles Examiner 16 Oct, Los Angeles Herald 30 Jul, Riverside Daily Press 10 Aug and 20 Nov - not opened (the San Francisco items are probably the Santa Rosa golden-wedding man, [name.438]).
newspapers com 2026-10-04 · SIGNED IN. Keyword Cooper "Santa Maria", California, 29 Jul - 30 Sep 1905 (81 matches).
Searched for: SIGNED IN. Keyword Cooper "Santa Maria", California, 29 Jul - 30 Sep 1905 (81 matches).
Result: FOUND: Santa Maria Times 5 Aug 1905 p. 1 'Octogenarian Joins Silent Majority' - his obituary, ALREADY HELD as [J.130]. (A first try with OR'd quoted name forms was rejected by the site: 'too many single characters'.)
familysearch tree 2026-10-04 · Opened K8LH-6XW from the parents' profile G5G8-KQ2.
Searched for: Opened K8LH-6XW from the parents' profile G5G8-KQ2. (link)
Result: Lewis S Cooper, 26 Feb 1825 Independence Twp - 30 Jul 1905 Santa Maria; m. Mary Jane Jones (G7R2-XKZ, 1827-1880) 24 May 1849 Upper Sandusky, Wyandot Co. OH; 8 children; residences 1850 Green Twp Sussex NJ, 1855 Independence, 1860 Tymochtee Twp Wyandot OH, 1870 Stark Co. IL, 1875 Reno Twp KS, 1880 Plevna KS, 1885 Reno KS, 1900 Judicial Twp 7 Santa Barbara Co. CA. Agrees with this file; the 24 May date is the licence date of [F.116]. 19 sources not reviewed individually.
ancestry all 2026-10-04 · Lewis Cooper, b. 1825 +/- 2 New Jersey, d. 1905 +/- 1 California (93 results; pages 1-5 read).
Searched for: Lewis Cooper, b. 1825 +/- 2 New Jersey, d. 1905 +/- 1 California (93 results; pages 1-5 read).
Result: Records: Find a Grave index (= [G.133]); 'California, U.S., Death Index, 1905-1939': Louis S Cooper, b. abt 1825, d. 29 Jul 1905 Santa Barbara (index row, not opened). Most of the rest are member photos of this man and look-alikes (Dr Robert Lewis Cooper of Missouri, L M Cooper of San Bernardino).
findagrave 2026-10-04 · Lewis Cooper, b. 1825 +/- 2, d. 1905 +/- 1 (3 results).
Searched for: Lewis Cooper, b. 1825 +/- 2, d. 1905 +/- 1 (3 results).
Result: Memorial 70788117, Santa Maria Cemetery District - already [G.133]. Others: Dr Robert Lewis Cooper (Shelbina MO), William L. Cooper (Wilton NY).
Documents
- D.4 1850 US Federal Census, Independence Township, Warren Co., NJ (enumerated Aug 1850) — the four-Cooper cluster in adjacent dwellings 236-239 (the Israel, John, Joseph, and Robert Cooper households, 18 persons).
- D.18 1870 US Federal Census, West Jersey Township, Stark Co., Illinois (dwelling 72/72, enumerated 6-7 Jun 1870 by Minott Silliman) — the Louis S. Cooper household of 8 (Louis 44, blind; wife Mary J; 6 children) plus his co-resident brother George M. Cooper Sr.
- D.43 1850 US Federal Census, Frelinghuysen Twp., Warren Co., NJ, PAGE 488 - the Aaron Cooper household (DWELLING 170 / FAMILY 182 - corrected 2026-08-21 from 'dwelling 132') and Thomas Cooper as a boarder in the David G. Vanhorn household (dwelling 174 / family 186). The page is now SWEPT IN FULL for Coopers: dwellings 169-177 / families 181-189, and these are the ONLY two Cooper entries on it.
- 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.266 1850 US Federal Census, Township of Green, Sussex Co., NJ — the Lewis Cooper household (Lewis Cooper 23, Mary Jane 22; a 2-person newlywed household).
- D.267 1880 US Federal Census, Plevna Township, Reno Co., Kansas, ED 2[8/5?]9, page 6, lines 37-43 (enumerated 7-8 Jun 1880 by George C. Cade) - dwelling/family 56, the Lewis S. Cooper household
- D.268 1900 US Federal Census, Schedule No. 1 Population - Seventh Township, Santa Barbara Co., California; S.D. 6, E.D. 161, sheet 2A; enumerated 1 June 1900 by Edw. G. Ketcham.
- D.273 1900 US Federal Census, Justice Precinct #2, Hamilton Co., TEXAS (ED 83, Sheet 14B) - two adjacent Cooper households: Joseph B. Cooper (dw.246) + his son Egbert B. Cooper (dw.247).
- D.285 1860 US Federal Census, Tymochtee Twp, Wyandot Co., OH (p.4, dwelling 24) - the L. S. Cooper household (head 33, wife Mary 33, and 5 children).
- D.348 1840 US Federal Census, Independence Twp., Warren Co., NJ — three Cooper households (Joseph, Robert, and John Cooper), each enumerated by head name + free-white age/sex bracket counts.
- E.5 1875 Kansas State Census, Valley Twp, Reno Co., KS (enumerated 1 Mar 1875) — the L. S. Cooper household, 8 persons. Column-header-aligned transcription (3x zoom).
- E.6 1885 Kansas State Census, Nickerson, Reno Co., KS (enumerated 1 Mar 1885), page 12 — the Cooper and Wiley individuals in a shared-dwelling cluster (Lewis S Cooper, C. F. Cooper + Mrs Cooper, and the Charlotte Wiley / Nettie Wiley household).
- F.116 Wyandot County, Ohio Marriage Record — Lewis S. Cooper × Mary Jane Jones, 27 May 1849; license 24 May 1849, certificate returned 4 June 1849, officiated by Benjamin Knapp, J.P. The record does NOT name parents (the standard 1849 Ohio register format has no parents-named clause).
- F.117 California Death Index, 1905-1929 (Ancestry) — 4-page spread of pages 2183-2186, the COOPER surname section (given names Lillian through the end of the surname). Column-header-aligned transcription of the COOPER, LOUIS S row (State File #3137).
- G.130 Find a Grave memorials 15136843, 42112931, 37389902 and 15136864 - Joseph Benjamin Cooper (West End Cemetery, Stephenville, Texas) and his sons James Henry, John Luther and Frank E. Cooper
- G.133 Find a Grave memorial 70788117 - Lewis Sanford Cooper, Santa Maria Cemetery District, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, California
- J.130 The Santa Maria Times (Santa Maria, California), Saturday August 5, 1905, page 1 — 'Octagenarian Joins Silent Majority' obituary of Louis S. Cooper (= Lewis Sanford Cooper [p.42](../../people/p.42%20Lewis%20Sanford%20Cooper.md), catalog Gen-3 chain link patriarch). PRIMARY-SOURCE NEWSPAPER OBITUARY: 'Louis S. Cooper, aged 80 years, 5 months and 5 days, died on Saturday last at the home of his daughter, Mrs. S. E. Gingrich.' = PRIMARY-SOURCE-CONFIRMS daughter Sarah Eliza Cooper Gingrich [p.44](../../people/p.44%20Sarah%20Eliza%20Cooper%20Gingrich.md) at non-Find A Grave tier + her Santa Maria CA residence + caregiver role. Death date 'Saturday last' = 29 July 1905 matches [G.133](../G-Cemetery/G.133.yaml) Find A Grave + [F.117](../F-Church-Vital/F.117.yaml) CA Death Index. Age 80y5m5d precise = b. ~24 Feb 1825 (= 2-day discrepancy from [G.133](../G-Cemetery/G.133.yaml) Find A Grave 26 Feb 1825; within tolerance). Funeral Sunday 30 July 1905 at Santa Maria cemetery ( matches [G.133](../G-Cemetery/G.133.yaml) burial location) conducted by Rev. Powers. Biographical datum: Lewis had been 'an invalid for many years and for the past forty was almost totally blind' = blind from ~1865 (age ~40) = lifelong handicap shaped his post-1865 occupational evolution Farmer → Canvasser → invalid-care arrangement. Obit does NOT name Lewis's parents = does NOT directly close hop 3→2 (Joseph 1785 paternity); CA Death Certificate State File #3137 ([F.117](../F-Church-Vital/F.117.yaml)) remains the primary-source target for hop closure.
- A.53 Inventory of Joseph Cooper of Independence Twp., Warren Co., made 5 November 1852 — Warren Surrogate Inventories Vol. 6 p. 87. A substantial farmer's goods; no family named.
- C.135 Wyandot County, Ohio, marriage license affidavit no. 358 (vol. 1 p. 117) and marriage record (vol. 1 p. 140), Lewis S. Cooper and Mary Jane Jones, May 1849 — FamilySearch DGS 4017151 image 63 and DGS 4017166 image 96
- F.316 California State Board of Health, duplicate certificate of death, Santa Barbara County, local registered no. 14, Louis S. Cooper, 29 July 1905 (register page 7) — FamilySearch DGS 7619715 image 353 of 721
- E.16 1855 New Jersey State Census, Warren County, Third Election District (the Township of Independence), enumerated from 1 June 1855 by Robert S. Garison[?], assessor - the page carrying Israel, George M., Robert and Lewis S. Cooper; FamilySearch "New Jersey, State Census, 1855", image arks 3:1:3Q9M-C9BL-ZQFM-K and (reshot) 3:1:3Q9M-C9BL-ZQFZ-F.
- E.17 1885 Kansas state census, Schedule 7 (Deaf and Dumb, Blind, Idiotic and Insane), [Grant?] Township, Reno County, Kansas, lines 1-2 — FamilySearch DGS 007841185, image 76 of 79
- A.211 Warren Co., N.J. Surrogate — Receipts and Discharges 1825-1867 vol. 1-3, book pages 140-143 and 449-452: seven receipts to Edward Chandler, administrator of Joseph Cooper, dated 9 June 1854, 15 December 1856, 6 April 1857 and 14 May 1859, with acknowledgments
- D.786 1880 US Census, Schedule 5 (Persons who Died during the Year ending May 31, 1880), Westminster and Plevna Townships, Reno Co., Kansas, Sup. Dist. 2, ED 2[5?]9 (Ancestry index 259), page 1 (enumerator George C. Cade) - NARA T1130 roll 7 (Ancestry 8756, image KST1130_7-0379)