Winifred Evelyn Cope
June 29, 1931 — July 21, 2019
Winifred Evelyn Cope, 88, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, formerly of Springville, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, July 21, 2019, surrounded by her loving family at St. Luke’s Hospital, Cedar Rapids. The family will greet friends from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Marion. Funeral Services will begin at 1 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home conducted by Mike Schultz. Burial will take place at Whittier Cemetery, Springville.
Winifred was born June 29, 1931, near Springville, the daughter of Hervey E. and M. Evelyn (Newlin) DeWees. She was a 1949 graduate of Springville High School and earned her teaching certificate at Iowa Teacher’s College. On March 16, 1952, in Monticello she was united in marriage to John E. Paulsen. To this union, four children were born: Tina, Diana “Sue”, Jeff, and Dana. John preceded her in death in 1971. Winifred later reconnected with a former schoolmate, Curtis J. Cope. They were married on April 20, 1973, in Cedar Rapids, and to that union a daughter, Kim, was born. In her earlier years, Winifred was a primary school teacher in Hopkinton, Iowa, and most of her life she was a farmwife and homemaker. Winifred was a member of the North Star Homemakers Club. She also was a member of the United Methodist Church in Springville where she proudly rang handbells and sang as a tenor in the church choir every Sunday. Winifred also sang in the Farm Bureau Women’s Chorus. She was an elite seamstress, good cook, former 4-H leader, and was a very active member and officer of TOPS. Winifred’s family was truly the center of her universe. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.
She is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband, Curtis Cope of Cedar Rapids; three children, Sue Paulsen of North Liberty, Iowa, Dana (Carter) LeBeau and Kim Nicholls, both of Marion; daughter-in-law, Dawn Paulsen of Garner, North Carolina; 12 grandchildren, Johnny Davis, Joseph (Sloane) Vance, Samuel (Tianna) Vance, Brandon (Carla) Norris, Dana Paulsen, Lauren Paulsen, Colin LeBeau, Ian (Katie) LeBeau, Devin LeBeau, Avery Nicholls, Aden Nicholls, and Asher Nicholls; two great-grandchildren, Tyler Norris and Liam Kephart; and two brothers, Edward (Mary) DeWees of Cedar Rapids and Donald (Janet) DeWees of Nashua, New Hampshire.
In addition to her first husband, John Paulsen, Winifred was also preceded in death by her parents; one daughter, Tina Davis; one son, Jeff Paulsen; two grandchildren, Jody Vance and Bret LeBeau; one son-in-law, Michael Nicholls; and one brother, Jack DeWees.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Winifred’s memory may be directed to the Springville United Methodist Church.
Winifred was born June 29, 1931, near Springville, the daughter of Hervey E. and M. Evelyn (Newlin) DeWees. She was a 1949 graduate of Springville High School and earned her teaching certificate at Iowa Teacher’s College. On March 16, 1952, in Monticello she was united in marriage to John E. Paulsen. To this union, four children were born: Tina, Diana “Sue”, Jeff, and Dana. John preceded her in death in 1971. Winifred later reconnected with a former schoolmate, Curtis J. Cope. They were married on April 20, 1973, in Cedar Rapids, and to that union a daughter, Kim, was born. In her earlier years, Winifred was a primary school teacher in Hopkinton, Iowa, and most of her life she was a farmwife and homemaker. Winifred was a member of the North Star Homemakers Club. She also was a member of the United Methodist Church in Springville where she proudly rang handbells and sang as a tenor in the church choir every Sunday. Winifred also sang in the Farm Bureau Women’s Chorus. She was an elite seamstress, good cook, former 4-H leader, and was a very active member and officer of TOPS. Winifred’s family was truly the center of her universe. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.
She is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband, Curtis Cope of Cedar Rapids; three children, Sue Paulsen of North Liberty, Iowa, Dana (Carter) LeBeau and Kim Nicholls, both of Marion; daughter-in-law, Dawn Paulsen of Garner, North Carolina; 12 grandchildren, Johnny Davis, Joseph (Sloane) Vance, Samuel (Tianna) Vance, Brandon (Carla) Norris, Dana Paulsen, Lauren Paulsen, Colin LeBeau, Ian (Katie) LeBeau, Devin LeBeau, Avery Nicholls, Aden Nicholls, and Asher Nicholls; two great-grandchildren, Tyler Norris and Liam Kephart; and two brothers, Edward (Mary) DeWees of Cedar Rapids and Donald (Janet) DeWees of Nashua, New Hampshire.
In addition to her first husband, John Paulsen, Winifred was also preceded in death by her parents; one daughter, Tina Davis; one son, Jeff Paulsen; two grandchildren, Jody Vance and Bret LeBeau; one son-in-law, Michael Nicholls; and one brother, Jack DeWees.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Winifred’s memory may be directed to the Springville United Methodist Church.
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