Eloise Cooley

Eloise M. (Rhein) Cooley slipped the bonds of Earth and flew to heaven on Monday, October 2, 2017 at Peace Hospice. At her request no services are planned.Cremation is in the care of O’Connor Funeral Home. Eloise was born April 8, 1923 in Great Falls, MT, to Albert and Clara (Juhl) Rhein. As much as she would have liked to, she never left. She graduated from Great Falls High School in 1941 and went to work for an insurance company. With her three friends Dot, Ginny, and Dow, she went to all of the USO dances. As was their tradition, they each put dibs on the man they wanted. When Mom saw Dad’s curly brown hair (the Irish genes overcame the Cherokee!), she said “That one’s for me!” They were married October 22, 1944 at a Baptist church in Benton County, TN. Because Benton County was, and still is, a dry county, everyone who got married went across the river into the neighboring county which was not dry. She said she and our father were the only couple married in that church. When Dad came back from WWII she had her bags packed and ready to move to TN. “Oh no” he said. “I have a job at the Smelter.” And so here they stayed. In the span of 2 ½ short years, Linda, Marcia, and Norma were born. Mom always said Dad was going to have the 4th, 5th, and 6th children because she was done! When we were little she worked part-time in the evenings at a savings and loan company saving money so that the three of us could go to college. This was their dream and our life script. When Norma started West JHS, Mom went to work full-time for Cascade County. She ran the parking and traffic tickets, property tax rolls, etc. She was an “IBM operator” and that was always the job title she gave when anyone asked her – even after they changed to computers. She retired in 1986 and was able to fulfill her dream of staying at home. She loved to bake – cookies, cakes, anything with flour, sugar, and shortening in it. After an especially inspiring class at Bozeman, Marcia taught her how to bake bread. This is the true value of a college education! She enjoyed cooking; we would beg her – “Mom, it’s a new recipe. At least make it once the way it’s supposed to be before you start making changes!” She loved many kinds of needle work, including embroidery, knitting, and crocheting. She made all of her own clothes (and ours) for decades. She went to Park Place in September 2010 to recover from a fall and began living in Linden House at Bee Hive Homes in September 2011. She made many good friends there – especially among the staff. After a brief stay in the North Tower at Benefis East, she went to spend her final days at Peace Hospice. The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at the Linden House for the loving care they provided to our mother in the last years of her life. A big Thank You also to Dr. Brice Addison and staff for their support through the years. We know that we all leave this Earth sometime, and Peace Hospice is tremendous for the excellent medical care they give your loved ones. Not only are they unsurpassed in their support for the mind, body and spirit of the patient, they provide the same care for the loved ones. Eloise is survived by her daughters Linda and Norma Cooley of Great Falls, and Marcia Cooley of Simi Valley, CA; and numerous nieces and nephews in TN. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Harold Rhein; and her husband Delmer slipped the bonds of Earth on September 29, 2001. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Peace Hospice, PO Box 7008, Great Falls, MT 59406, the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org/montana), or the charity of your choice.