Christa Helene Cooper 95 of Rapid City passed away Friday November 25, 2022 at Fountain Springs Healthcare.

A memorial service will be 10:30am Monday December 5, 2022, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, with Pastor Josh Jones officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Inurnment will follow the luncheon at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis.

Christa is survived by her daughters; Christine "Lore" Eidson, Joy (Tim) Kelsch, Debbie (Link Legner) Cooper, Linda (Jose) Carrillo, grandchildren; Ryan (Fiancé Taylor Geisinger) Kelsch, Kevin (Samantha) Kelsch, Jessie (Tyson) Meyer, Myles (Raquel) Carrillo, Sophia Carrillo, Esther Carrillo, Chanel (Clay) Darley, great-grandchildren; Hadley, Rudy and Cora Kelsch, Wyatt Meyer, and Caleb Darley.

Christa was preceded in death by her husband Robert, daughter Rose Lee, parents, brother, sister, and son in law Jim Eidson.

My mom, Christa Helene Cooper, affectionately known by me as "Ma", was a strong, loving woman.  I think we have always had a special connection from early in my childhood, maybe because I shared that hip dysplasia gene.  She was the one that noticed I walked with a limp when I was very young.  Then when I had surgery to correct it at age 5, she was my angel, my guardian and companion, and stayed with me in Denver while I had to be at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital. She was my whole world. She made me feel safe. She was protective and caring, but tried to get her overly shy daughter to be courageous.

My mom loved cross country skiing and boxing when she was young in Germany, something she didn't teach her daughters.  She also loved classical music and made sure she shared that love of music with her girls;, enrolling us in ballet, piano lessons, and violin. One of the things she enjoyed to the end was classical music. She also loved penguins and had a huge collection. Angels always had a special meaning to her, so she collected and read about them and the miracles surrounding them.

Ma, being the strong-willed woman she was, had both hips replaced at the same time in the early 70's as soon as the surgery became available at the Fitzsimmons Army Hospital.  She did water exercise, to get the physical therapy she needed, at the YMCA, getting her membership by volunteering.  She did everything, wherever they needed her, in the kitchen, the locker room, and always at the Midnight Alternatives for the youth on Saturday nights.  She loved the kids and enjoyed teaching them manners.  When it was time for me to get my hip replaced, she was there helping me and got me started on the water exercise and volunteering at Midnight Alternatives too.  Of course, I didn't have the rapport she had with the kids, but it helped me become more at ease also.

I always had a friend in my mom. It was hard for me to meet people, and if I didn't have someone to go out with or do something special with, she would go with me. We went out together on my 18 ^th birthday, went to a Kansas concert together, hung out and had coffee and ice cream cones at McDonalds.  Even my difficult years when I wasn't close to my mom, she always loved me and believed in me. She helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life.  Now, I wish I had given her a little more of my time when I was younger.

She was a true friend to her friends. She supported them going through health issues, visited them when they were in the hospital or nursing home, and always listened and encouraged them.  She loved them and they loved her right back.  When we were kids, she took us with her to visit her German Club friends, her neighbor friends, and her other friends. It was so easy for her to meet new people and get to know them.  If she was on a plane, she knew the person next to her well by the time the plane landed, and she considered them a friend.

She was a lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary, since my dad served in the Marines in WWII, and retired from the Army, serving in the Korean War and then being stationed in Germany, where he met and married my mom. He adopted Lore, and they had Joy and me in Wurzburg, Germany, and then Linda at EAFB after they moved to the US and settled here in Rapid City in 1960. They were together until his death November 11,2003.

My dad's death, macular degeneration, and dementia started to change my mom's life. I was now her support, our roles reversed. I was her caregiver, looking after all her needs and keeping her safe. Eventually, she had to move into There's A Heart assisted living. They made her and her cat, Emmi, feel right at home. After one of her artificial hips became infected twice, she was no longer able to live there and moved to Fountain Springs Healthcare. They all took such good care of her there too. All these people became her friends. She loved them and they loved her, as I always have and always will. She was a wonderful, sweet woman that will forever be my Ma.

Debbie Cooper

To my sisters Joy, Debbie, Linda, your families and all who loved and knew her,

Mrs. Christa H Cooper … Chris and she especially liked to be called Crystal! Growing up with a younger sister Friedlinda and brother Klaus was tough as she had to belong to Hitler Youth from 11 or 12 through the end of WWII. Our Opa fought on the Russian Front coming home wounded in 1944. Christa and a friend escaped East Germany under a train to freedom in West Germany at 18 with hope and not much else. Stalin took over with more suppression than the Nazis had, burning all personal and local history in the streets.

A country girl and visionary who knew how suppressed her family in Scheibenberg im Erzgebirge were, she sent relief packages and money whenever possible. A hardworking, strong, and independent young lady Crystal worked farm labor, and in factories, spending free time dancing the polka and waltz, having fun with friends. While working at the Weizenbier in Gunzburg she gave birth to me. In 1954 she met the love of her life CWO Robert Clair "Coop" Cooper! They got married in June 1956 and Daddy adopted me.

Most important was Gott im Himmel and her undying faith in Jesus our Lord. Mom always knew that being a mother, a shining beacon to bring her family up believing in God, loving your neighbor as yourself and volunteering for those in need were priorities. One of her favorites was the Native Youth Program at the YMCA Friday nights for years; she was, always interested in folks from other cultures; the German Club; visiting many elders ever since I can remember, and precious babies … grands, all babies laughs, cuddles and hugs!

Being an expert seamstress, she sat up nights designing and making clothes for our Barbie dolls, making us all dresses, blouses and even made me several pair of stretch blue jean leggings way before they got popular … WOW MOM! Christmas was her favorite, she loved to make lots of goodies to share with all the neighborhood, church, and friends!

Daddy and Mom were avid gardeners who always had a compost pit and Mom loved her house plants (some over 50 years old.) She passed many of her passions, especially her curiosity on to her four girls, such as health consciousness i.e. vitamins (Shaklee early on), good food, exercise, swimming, walking, hiking and picking mushrooms and making jam were favorite living skills! She made and has been drinking structured water over 50 years!

Thank you, Christa Cooper, for being in our hearts and spirits for as long as we shall live!

Know that I am with you all in spirit! With Love and Gratitude,

Christine Hannelore Eidson

This is Joy, sharing memories of my dear Mama.

Ma was always there for all of us girls. Ma and I had a very close relationship. We enjoyed going out for tea and having heart to heart talks for hours. She was a very loving mother and grandmother. She loved time with her grandchildren so much. It was unfortunate that none lived nearer.

She cooked wholesome and delicious meals for us that were expertly seasoned. She cooked with love, that was her way. I believe she passed her love of good food down to me.

Little children and animals sensed her loving heart. They were always attracted to her. When she wa a young adult she had a pet white mouse that she kept in her pocket at times. As the years went by she had a couple of cats and dogs and took on the job of caregiver to a couple of her grand dogs when needed. She loved them all.

Her mother's intuition was unbelievable. Ma amazingly sensed trouble during my labor with Ryan when she had to pull off the hiway in a sudden burst of tears at the exact moment it was happening. Then a few years later, he surprised me by showing up at my door stating Kevin will be born tomorrow.. She was right! And I was glad she was there once again. She had many revelations like that throughout her lifetime.

Ma had a deep relationship with God. She had stories to tell how He protected her during her childhood living under Hitler rule in her homeland in East Germany. And she held that love and trust of God in her heart throughout her lifetime.

My dear mother, Christa had great love in her heart for God, her husband, children, family, friends and all God's creatures.

I love her deeply. Mama was love!

Memories of my Mom

Mom, or Christa, as she was known here upon the earth, was born on Good Friday 95 years ago. She was named Christa with a "ch" in remembrance of Christ, her Savior and Redeemer. She truly was a woman of faith, hope, charity and love. She quietly and diligently loved and served the Lord. She loved her Heavenly Father and He loved her. He knew her and watched over her. He heard and answered her prayers. She prayed often and received guidance and inspiration, protection and direction. She often would share her stories of life, especially during WWII, how a little bird would whisper in her ear. That Spirit was with her, she recognized it and followed it, especially when escaping Nazi Germany. She was a fine example to those around her, especially her family. Her life was that of grace and gratitude. God's tender mercies were with her. Thanks Mom!

I regularly attended church with my Mom.  It was wonderful. My favorite was Christmas Eve when my sisters would go with her to the candle light service. At the end of the service, we would light the candles and sing Silent Night, which she sang in German. It was magical and peaceful. Such a cherished memory. She made Christmas time beautiful for us. She let her German heritage shine! She had lots of candles glowing, advent calendars counting the days, spritz cookies and goodies baking! She loved to make banana bread in a soup can! It was delightful! December 6th was St Nicholas day. We put one house slipper out the night before by the back door. In the morning we would find an orange and some nuts in our slipper. We had a few Christmas gifts under the tree that we opened on Christmas eve. Christmas day we opened our special little gifts in our stocking. She always went above and beyond to have a formal dinner for Christmas, New Years, Easter and Thanksgiving. She was an excellent pie maker and made them all after we went to bed. Leftover pie for breakfast was wonderful!

Mom could sew and knit anything and everything. She was an excellent seamstress and made a lot of our clothes. Sometimes we had matching outfits. She designed and made lots of Barbie clothes, baby doll dresses, booties and bonnets. She was artistic and talented. I gained my love and appreciation for sewing from her. Thanks Mom! We had a neighbor, Peggy Hoffman who had a ceramics studio in her basement. We spent a lot of time together there.

Mom was a woman before her time teaching us to forage mushrooms in the hills behind our house. She knew the edible ones without Google! She loved nature! Especially flowers. She found great joy and comfort in her flower garden. She would spend time working in her garden, take a rest on her lawn chair and the bumble bees would come a sit on her toes! It was amazing. She had chives and herbs growing. We enjoyed chive sandwiches in the summer on thin slices of pumpernickel bread. She used lots of herbs for cooking and for teas and healing. I would consider her an herbalist! She took excellent care of us physically and spiritually.  Thanks Mom!

Mom was a homemaker, wife and mother. She could cook, clean and sew with perfection. She could do laundry and had the whitest whites. She hung the laundry out on the clothesline and taught me how to use clothes pins! I think of her every time I use them! She ironed all of Daddy's work uniforms. He was a mail carrier and always looked neat and sharp. Not one of us was ever rumpled!! She taught me how to iron first on handkerchiefs and pillow cases. How to press pants and starch and iron dress shirts. She used a spray bottle often but loved her steam iron!! Thanks Mom!

She worked hard to keep her physical body fit and functioning so she could endure beyond all the physical pain and limitations of her mortal body. She valued and appreciated medical science and technology. Rarely complaining. Regularly having a wool blanket wrapped around her hips to keep them warm and mobile. Walking us to school, to the park, in the woods. I have a love for fitness, exercise and walking in the woods. Thanks Mom!

Dearest Mom, your time here with us has been a gift. Thanks for being the best Mom you could be. The best Grandmother to your grandchildren. You are missed here but your joy and freedom from pain and suffering is one to be celebrated! Enjoy eternal life with family and friends! Till we meet again. I love you beyond measure my dear Mom!

Linda Carrillo