Bernita Grace Cooper

Bernita Grace Gutenberger Cooper was born December 19, 1932, daughter of Stewart William Gutenberger and Agnes Florance Stava , in Johnson, Wisconsin.  She resided in Boise, ID for many years and went home to be with the Lord on May 5, 2023.  She married Raymond Cooper in December 1974 and enjoyed a good marriage until his passing in 1986. They had no children in their marriage.

Bernita moved with her family to Caldwell, Idaho during the Depression at the age of five.  Her education in Idaho began at Maple Grove Grade School and she graduated from Caldwell High School where she loved playing catcher for the girl’s baseball team.  She obtained her RN degree through Seattle Pacific College and the University of Washington.  She studied for the mission field through Prairie Bible Institute and later graduated from Multnomah School of the Bible.  She volunteered for Bible camps in Idaho, Montana and Colorado. Bernita loved the Lord as her personal Saviour and served as a full-time missionary nurse in Brazil for four years spreading the gospel. Her travels also included time in Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, South Africa, Swaziland, Kenya, Rhodesia, Israel and Alaska to name a few. She truly enjoyed traveling.  As a nurse in the U.S., she worked for hospitals in Dallas, TX and Boise, ID where she finished her career as a surgical nurse at the Veterans Hospital in Boise for 19 years before retiring.

Bernita Cooper was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her siblings Stewart Gutenberger, Virginia Spry, Robert Gutenberger and Illerd Gutenberger. She was a member of Euclid Church of the Nazarene, Boise, ID.  She is survived by her brother, Cedric Earl Gutenberger and many nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.  She wrote this note: “I haven’t always been all that the Lord would have wanted me to be.  I have failed many times, but I’m thankful that God doesn’t judge on what I’ve done, but by my belief in what Christ did for me.  He died for my sins and rose again.  Praise the Lord!”

The family suggests memorial gifts may be made to Euclid Nazarene Church building fund, Salvation Army or T.E.A.M.

A funeral service will take place at 11:00am on Friday May 19, 2023 at Alsip and Persons Funeral Chapel 404 10th Ave S. Nampa, ID.

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