Obituary: Lane Charles Cooper, 82, of Freeport, formerly of Ludington

Lane Cooper

Surrounded by family and numerous prayers, Lane Charles Cooper, 82, of Freeport, made a peaceful transition into eternity from home on Sunday, March 10, 2024. One of twin boys, Lane was born on August 8, 1941, to parents LaVerne and Helen (Wagner) Cooper in Ludington. His early childhood years were filled with adventures while living above a country store owned and operated by his father. During his adolescence, his family moved to a farm, where adventures and hard work continued. He graduated from Ludington High School in 1960 and later Ferris State College with a degree in printing.

In 1962, he was inducted into the U.S. Army at Ft. Polk, La. He then graduated from the U.S. Army Military Police School in Ft. Gordon, Ga. In April 1963, he flew to Seoul, Korea, where he was stationed at the Eighth Army Headquarters for 18 months. Corporal Cooper was awarded medals in: Expert with M-1 rifle, Sharpshooter for the M-1 and 45 caliber pistol, and Marksman with carbine rifle and bayonet. He also received the Good Conduct Medal, Korea National Defense Medal, Korea Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, and Korea President Citation Medal.

After serving in Korea, Lane returned to his hometown of Ludington where he served as a sergeant for the Mason County Sheriff’s Department. Later, he was part of the construction team as a general labor foreman for the Ludington Pumped Storage hydroelectric power plant.

On May 25, 1973, Lane married Rosemary Hornick in Hart. For the past 47 years, they have made their home in Freeport. He worked for 28 years as a machine maintenance mechanic for Amway Corporation, Ada. While at Amway, Lane volunteered for disaster relief work with National Relief Network, aiding communities in the aftermath of natural disasters for 15 years. Lane served on the Freeport Volunteer Fire Department for 20 years.

Since his childhood, Lane has used his abundant creativity to make gifts for others: wooden toys, birdhouses, tractors, and on and on. Upon retirement, he pursued his biggest passion, creating metal sculptures. This endeavor led to his participation in ArtPrize, Grand Rapids, for 14 years. Recently, Lane invested his time and talents in support of a local church in Freeport called the Gathering Place.

Lane will be greatly missed by his wife of 50 years, Rosemary; his daughter, Melanie (Brian) Newhouse of Middleville; his grandchildren: Isaac (Isabella) Newhouse of San Marcos, Texas; Carter (Eve) Newhouse of Kettering, Ohio; and Logan and Alex Newhouse of Middleville; his siblings: Sue (Peter) Siler of Lowell, Jeri (John) Claire, Fred (Debbie) Cooper; brother-in-law James Nichols; and sister-in-law Leslie Ann Cooper all of Ludington; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends.

Lane was preceded in death by two children: his daughter Kimberly Ann Cooper on July 11, 1973, and his son Dustin Lane Cooper on December 29, 1980; his parents: LaVerne and Helen Cooper; his twin brother: Duane George Cooper; three sisters: Ann Marie Cooper, Therese Cooper, and Mary Lou (Cooper) Nichols; and two nephews: David Cooper Claire and Gabriel James Nichols.

A celebration of Lane’s life will occur at Thornapple Valley Church, 2750 M-43, Hastings on Saturday, March 23, at 11 a.m. Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. prior to the service.

Lane will be laid to rest with military honors at Bowne Township Cemetery, 84th St SE, Alto.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Lane’s name may be directed to Artists Creating Together, artistscreatingtogether.org, or the Gathering Place Church, freeportgatheringplace.com.

Arrangements provided by Girrbach Funeral Home, Hastings.