Lavonia Foster Cooper

Lavonia (Foster) Cooper

Lavonia Cooper passed away peacefully at The Ivy of McKinney, McKinney TX, on her 86th birthday December 15, 2025. She has been preceded in death by her parents, Ollie and Belva Foster of Carter, OK; and her sister, Linda Jo (Foster) Scism of Stillwater, OK; and 1 son who died at birth, Damon Luke Cooper.

Lavonia is survived by her loving husband, Dale Cooper, her sister Lenora (Foster) McAtee (husband Jack), and 3 children:

Dala Lavon (Cooper) Cowden (husband Kyle Cowden); Daniel Lee Cooper (wife Colleen Heidler); and Dalana Lin (Cooper) Squires (husband Dan Squires).

She is also survived by 7 grandchildren:

Rena (Cowden) Hobbs (husband Carlton Hobbs), Dare Cowden, and Sable (Cowden) Robinson (husband Sean Robinson).

Montana Squires (wife Christy Turbeville), Shawnee (Squires) Jones (husband Tanner Jones), Samuel Squires (wife Lauren "Charlie" Perdue), and Josiah Squires.

And then she is survived by 9 great-grandchildren:

Spencer, Lucas, Lory, Acacia, Leo, and Murray Hobbs.

Ezra, Tobias, and Jasper Jones.

Lavonia was born December 15, 1939 in Carter, Oklahoma to Belva Marie (McLerran) Foster and Ollie Foster. Belva was 34 and Ollie was 31 at the time of Lavonia's birth. Her sister Lenora was born May 3, 1941.

Lavonia had 2 sisters, Lenora (Foster) McAtee of Colorado (married to Jack McAtee) and Linda Jo (Foster) Scism (married to Doug Scism of Oklahoma).

Lavonia's father Ollie was drafted to serve in the Army, around March 1944. He fought at the Battle of the Bulge in WWII and was then a prisoner of war in Germany until 1945 when he and other POWs escaped and made their way to the Allied Front. These years were difficult for Belva and her 2 girls, being without Ollie, not knowing if he was even alive, and with the impact of the great depression still lingering in rural Oklahoma.

But her daddy came home, and she always recalled the good times of her childhood; holding chickens, good dogs, playing by the creek, standing on the bridge during the rain surge. And of course, another little sister, Linda Jo, came along too; a true baby boomer, born January 30, 1947; Ollie was 38 and Belva was 41.

Lavonia's husband Dale said that they have been friends their whole lives. Dale lived just down the road on Route 1 in Carter, OK when they were growing up. They shared different opinions on many of their shared schoolyard memories, which usually ended up with Dale laughing and Lavonia purveying the truth on those topics. One of her claims to fame is that she was the tallest student in her fifth grade class...at 5'1".

She was a loving stay-at-home mom up until all of her kids were in school. She was a marvelous cook, and somehow always kept the meals tasty and interesting. Once all of her kids were in school, she started working in the cafeteria at some of the schools in the Farmers Branch and Carrollton, TX area. She ensured that the food was always both good and good for you. She looked out for kids in need and was happy to be their "school mom" too. It was amazing to see how many children adored her when visiting her at work. This job allowed her to be back at home before her kids got home from school. Always the momma.

But it's no surprise. Her home and her heart was always open for someone needing her, or a meal, or a temporary place to stay. She had a heart for people in need, and her home housed more people than I can remember. She practiced the art of hospitality in a way that was rarely practiced.

You'll probably remember her if you attended the church of Christ in Carter OK, or 25th and Geraldine church of Christ in Oklahoma City, or Denton Drive church of Christ in Carrollton, TX, or Webb Chapel church of Christ in Farmers Branch, TX, or Rock Hill church of Christ in Frisco, TX. She was the quiet encourager.

This was surprising, because she was truly an introvert; but she expressed her love for others so openly. When David Lusk became the preacher at Webb Chapel church of Christ he began organizing mission trips to Guyana; and Lavonia went with the team. She was frightened about every aspect of this: the flight, the foreign country, studying with people, traveling without any of her family. But she went. She studied with dozens of people, and many were baptized. Many of those people became life-long friends...in many respects she was their mother too. She went back to Guyana year after year, joined by her daughter-in-law Colleen, and son-in-law Kyle, and then her husband Dale (who later organized a trip to the jungles in the interior of Guyana), and her son Daniel. She studied with hundreds, and led hundreds to salvation, and her influence was magnified beyond what we can imagine.

In reflecting on Lavonia's life, it was not marked with ease, but with overcoming; and colored by her expressions of love to so many others. She was always a mom, extending the borders of her family to those who needed her. And while there will be no parades in her honor, no news coverage, no fancy accolades; that's the way she would prefer it. But today in Heaven, there is a grand celebration welcoming her. And she would want you to come join her there. Romans 6:3-5

Funeral arrangements:

12:00 pm, Monday, December 22, 2025

Rock Hill church of Christ

9426 PGA Parkway

Frisco TX 75035

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to:

Rock Hill church of Christ with "Mission Fund in honor of Lavonia" in the memo.