Harold William Coppinger

Harold was the fifth child born to Attley and Carrie (Tagg) Coppinger on December 17, 1928. He went home on Monday, March 11, 2019 at the age of 90. He was born at the twin white house’s south of Cortez. He made it to the 6th grade in school. Dad and Aunt Rose lived with Bob and Oralee Page for about a year so they could go to school. His parents went from job to job. Granddad was also the jailer for the City of Cortez and Grandma was the cook for the jail. Dad was on his own most of the time. He never remembered his oldest sister Angie being home. He was very close to his older brother Clyde. Dad met his future wife when he was 14 years old and Marjorie was 10. That was when Uncle Clyde started dating Mom’s older sister Virginia. When he dated Mom my Granddad Slade always wanted dad to play checkers with him. Dad learned that if he let Granddad win he got to spend more time with Mom.
Dad was working for the state crusher crew over in Trinidad, Colorado in early 1949. Grandma Slade’s request was that a Catholic priest marry Mom because Aunt Virginia eloped with Uncle Clyde. Dad had to take classes with the priest, but after classes went across the street to the local pool hall. On March 8, 1949, Harold and Marjorie Slade were married in Trinidad, Colorado. Dad did not want to travel with the crusher crew so he went to work at a ranch near Alamosa, Colorado. Later that year they lost their baby son, William Lee. They were never to have any more children naturally. They came back home and Dad worked for Charles Porter until his son came home from the Korean War. Granddad Coppinger called and said the State Highway had an opening in Granite, Colorado, then two months later he was drafted into the Korean War. He did basic training in Kansas then was shipped to Germany to serve as a Corporal in the Engineer Corp. The Army ruined it for him with certain foods. He sent Mom a clock with a glass dome but it was broken when it got to her. From Holland, he sent her a pair of wooden shoes, which we still have.
After he was discharged, he went to work for the state at Twin Lakes, Colorado working Independence Pass that goes over to Aspen, Colorado. It is the highest paved mountain pass in Colorado. He later transferred to Leadville, Colorado. While there, in June of 1964 they went to Denver, Colorado to get their daughter Wanda. She had the 3-day measles so they had to go back the next weekend to get her. Dad always joked about whether that second trip was worth it or not. In early 1967 they got Alice.
In 1970 we moved to Montrose, Colorado. Dad wanted to get out of the mountains and come home. In 1976 we moved back to Cortez. In March of 1984 Dad retired with 30 years with the state plus the 2 years he served in Korea. He helped my Mom move and care for her parents and brother. Also my Great Aunt Mary. In November of 1992 Mom’s brother George was very sick in Denver. It was storming very badly. Dad felt so bad that we could not get to be with him when he passed away.
Dad enjoyed helping the grandchildren of our neighbor Freda Lynn. He made some wahoo boards (marble game) for her and all he wanted for payment was a pan of cinnamon rolls. When she tried out new food recipes, Dad was her tester. Dad passed all of them. Dad never really had any hobbies, but he enjoyed taking care of the yard and getting wood for the winter. In 2009 we got Pansie, our dog, and she became Dad’s best companion out in the yard. If Dad was visiting with the neighbor too much, she would jump up and get his hanky out of his back pocket just to get his attention.
In January of 2002 Dad lost his brother Clyde. That was very hard on him and he missed him very badly. He also watched his sister Angie pass away as well.
Mom suffered with Alzheimer’s. Dad was very good and faithful to her. On March 13, 2017 we lost her, five days after their 68th wedding anniversary.
Dad fell in June of 2017 and broke his hip. Our home was not handicap accessible so Dad had to stay in Vista Grande Inn. Late summer of 2017 Dad was really missing Mom and he told his friend Jerry Jackson that he wanted to be with Mom. Jerry helped Dad accept the Lord as his savior so that he could be with Mom. He had two great friends there. Robert, who came every day to see his wife and Connie who was a friend to Mom when she was there. He had an Awesome roommate in Ben Archibeque. Ben’s sons were very good to Dad as well, especially Larry. Dad always sat in the front lobby and greeted everyone that came in. When Pansie and Wanda were there, Pansie got all the attention. One day Dad asked Wanda to get a dog costume so he could lay on the floor and get attention too.
Dad went home on Monday, March 11, 2019, two days before the second anniversary of Marjorie’s passing, with his daughter Wanda by his side.
Harold is survived by his daughters, Wanda Coppinger of Cortez, CO and Alice Coppinger of Las Vegas, NV; his sister-in-law, Mary Lou Hines of Casper, WY; his nieces and nephews, Roger Coppinger of Dolores, CO, Barbara White of Show Low, AZ, Jo Ellen Keigley of Guernsey, WY, Donna Anderson, Helen Norcross, A.D. Hines, and Stacie Flagerstone of Casper, WY. Finally, yet importantly, his faithful companion, pride and joy, his dog Pansie.
He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Marjorie; his baby son, William Lee; his parents, Attley and Carrie Coppinger; his sisters, Angie Lewis and Rose Porter; and his brother, Clyde Coppinger.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at 701 Camino del Rio, Durango, CO 81301, 970-259-0122, in the memory of Marjorie Coppinger or to the Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado, 5889 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Suite 404, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, 888-378-9779, in the memory of George B. Slade.