Submitted by
Loyd Bishop

OBITUARY

Herbert Cooley was born in Burmingham, England, March 29, 1839, when he was about 12 years of age his family came to America and settled in Janesville, Wis., where Mr. Cooley grew to young manhood.
About 1860 or 1861, he went to Chicago, and on Sept. 18, 1861 enlisted in the 8th Illinois cavalry, Company E, and continued in the service of the U.S., until July 17, 1865, when his company was discharged, at Chicago.
He took part in many of the leading battles of the War Between the States. His record as a soldier is without blemish.
After his discharge from the army Mr. Cooley went to Dubuque, Iowa, here he lived about eight years.
April 14, 1862, he was married to Miss Agnes Shultz, at LaCrosse, Wis., where he lived until the summer of 1893, when he went to Frankfort, Ks. In Dec. 1893, he came to Oklahoma and settled on a claim 3-½ miles northwest of Blackwell.
By a former marriage there was born to Mr. Cooley a son and a daughter, who survive him, and live in Washington.
Mr. Cooley has long been a sufferer from rheumatism. In July of last year he was stricken and was confined to his bed until January 8, 1898, at about 20 minutes after 12 o’clock a.m., his spirit was liberated from its home of pain and suffering.
Mr. Cooley was an honorable citizen, owing no man anything, and was always friendly to the church.
Soon after the beginning of his last illness he became much concerned about his soul’s salvation and destiny, through his own prayers and the patient devotion and prayers of his wife, and friends he was lead to the saving faith in Jesus Christ, which faith brought him in his pain and suffering much peace and patience.
Sunday, January 9th, 1898, followed by a host of friends, his remains were tenderly laid to rest in the Blackwell cemetery, there to wait the “trumpet” that “shall bid the earth and the sea give up their dead.”