JOHN COOPER

John Cooper gravestone
(Photo by Vernon B. Paddock)

B. about 1800 in England
D. January 2, 1860 in Avon Township, Lake County, IL
Find A Grave memorial (click here)

According to the “Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report”, Illinois State Archives:

“Name: Cooper, George J; Rank: Pvt; Company: B; Unit: 96 IL US Inf; Residence: Avon, Lake Co, IL; Age 19; Height: 5′ 6 1/2; Hair: Brown; Eyes: Blue; Complexion: Fair; Marital Status: Single; Occupation: farmer; Nativity: IL; Joined When: Aug 9, 1862; Joined Where: Avon, IL; Joined by Whom: Salisbury; Period: 3 Yrs; Muster In: Sep 5, 1862; Muster in Where: Rockford, IL; Remarks: Died Nov 18, 1863 in Hospital in Louisville KY”

According to “The Past and Present of Lake County, IL”. Chicago: Wm Le Baron & Co. 1877. page 477:

“Cooper, George J. e. Aug. 9, 1862, died at Louisville, Ky., Nov. 10, 1863”

According to “Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Lake County”. Hon. Charles A. Partridge. Chicago. 1902., page 651:

“Died of Disease.

   Avon. – Oscar V. Douglas unassigned: Edward Craig, 12th Ill. Cavalry; John S. Ward, 37th Ill.; Alonza Miltimore, 39th Ill.; James Brown, George J. Cooper, Alfred Collins and James O’Connell, 96th Ill; Charles O. Hendee, 134th Ill.; James Trulock, 144th Ill.; Byron W. Doolittle, 153d Ill.”

According to the U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962:

“Interment in the Cave Hill, Louisville, Ky National Cemetery; To – The Quartermaster General, Washington, D. C.; Name: Cooper, George J; Rank: Pvt; Company: B; Regiment or Vessel: Number: 96, State: Ill, Arm: Inf; Date of Death: Nov 18 1863; Grave No.: 2185; Remarks: Original place of burial Louisville, Ky” 

9. John J. Cooper born May 1846 in Avon Township, Lake County, IL; lived with James and Dorothy Kapple in Avon Township in 1860; Civil War Veteran (2/6/1865 – 9/21/1865) married Celia Ann Baxter, daughter of Warren F. Baxter and Maria Baxter; by 1900 John and Celia lived in White River, Prairie County, AR

According to the Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report:

“Name: Cooper, John J; Rank: Pvt; Company: H; Unit: 153 IL US Inf; Residence: Avon, Lake, IL; Age: 18; Height: 5′ 8; Hair: Brown; Eyes: Blue; Complexion: Light; Marital Status: (blank); Occupation: Farmer; Nativity: Avon, IL; Joined When: Feb 6, 1865; Joined Where: Avon, IL; Joined by Whom: E B Messer; Period: 1 Yr; Muster in: Feb 11, 1865; Muster in Where: Chicago, IL; Muster out: Sep 21, 1865; Muster out Where: Memphis, TN; Muster out by Whom: Lt Brown”

10. Albert Cooper born February 1849 in Illinois; Albert died June 6, 1850 (See section pertaining to Albert Cooper buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery)

Additional Information:

According to the 1850 U.S. Census for the Town of Fremont, Lake County, IL the household members were:

“John Cooper, age 50, occupation: farmer, born in England; Thomas Cooper, age 19, occupation: farmer, born in England, Henry Cooper, age 17, occupation: farmer, born in England; William Cooper, age 10, born in Illinois; George Cooper, age 5, born in Illinois; John Cooper, age 3, born in Illinois; Albert Cooper, age 2/12, born in Illinois”

According to the Illinois, Marriage Index, 1860-1920:

“Name: John Cooper; Gender: Male; Marriage Date: 28 Mar 1851; Marriage Place: Lake, Illinois, USA; Spouse Name: Eliza Millard; Spouse Gender: Female”

According to the Waukegan Weekly Gazette (Waukegan IL) Saturday, January 7, 1860, page 2:

“DIED.

In Avon, Lake Co., on Monday, the 2d inst., suddenly, of Disease of the Heart, John Cooper, Esq., proprietor of the “Lake House,” ag d 59 years.”

(NOTE: According to the “History of Lake County, Illinois” by John J. Halsey, page 126 an August 1851 letter was written by Nathan C. Geer, the editor of the Gazette and states:  “The Lake House, kept by friend Lusk, near the Lake, east of Hainesville, a pleasant place to stop at and feel at home.”)

(NOTE: According to the Waukegan Weekly Gazette (Waukegan IL) Saturday, January 24, 1852, page 3:  “Tavern Stand for Sale – The Subscriber offers for sale the Tavern Stand known as the “Lake House.” pleasantly situated, 11 miles from Waukegan, on the Lake & McHenry Plank Road, together with the ground attached.  For terms of sale, &c., apply to the Subscriber, 168 Lake st., Chicago, or to C. C. Parks, Esq, Waukegan     FRANCIS CLERK.  Chicago, Jan. 10th, 1852   3m15″)

According to the Illinois, Wills and Probate Records, 1772-1999:

No. 535 – County Court. Lake County, Ill. – In Probate. In the matter of the estate of “John Cooper” deceased.  “James Kapple” Administrator.
   “Petition of Eliza Cooper in the matter of the Estate of John Cooper deceased, for Letters of Administration To the Hon. John S. (illegible), Judge of the County Court of Lake County.
   The Petition of the undersigned Eliza Cooper respectfully represents that John Cooper late of Avon deceased, died at Avon in Lake County, Illinois on or about the Second day of January A.D. 1860 leaving property and effects in this County Lake leaving no last Will and Testament as far as known to and believed by this petitioner.  that said deceased left him surviving Eliza Cooper his widow and, Martha _____, Elizabeth Cooper, Charles Cooper, Thomas Cooper, Henry Cooper, William J. Cooper, George J. Cooper & John J. Cooper his children.
   Your petitioner being widow of said deceased, therefore prays that Letters of Administration when the estate of the said John Cooper deceased may be granted.  James Kapple, Waukegan, February 9, 1860
          Eliza Cooper (signed)
STATE OF ILLINOIS}
Lake County.             }               ss.
          Eliza Cooper
being duly sworn, deposes and says that the facts averred in the above petition are true according to the best of her knowledge, information and belief.
Sworn to and subscribed before me Jas C}
(illegible) Clerk of the County Court          }
of Lake County, this 9th                                }
day of February A. D. 1860                         }          Eliza Cooper (signed)
Jas C Biddlecorn, Clerk.

According to the Waukegan Weekly Gazette (Waukegan IL) Saturday, February 25, 1860, page 4:

ADMINISTRATOR’S NOTICE.

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given, that the Subscriber, Administrator of the Estate of John Cooper, deceased, will attend the County Court of Lake County, at a term thereof, to be holden at the Court House in Waukegan, in said County, on the third Monday of April next, 1860, when and where all persons having claims against said Estate, are notified and requested to present the same to said Court for Adjudication.
        JAMES KAPPLE, Administrator.
   Waukegan, Feb. 9, 1860

According to the Waukegan Weekly Gazette (Waukegan IL) Saturday, July 12, 1862, page 3:

“CIRCUIT COURT CHANCERY NOTICE. – Circuit Court of Lake County, September term 1862, in Chancery – Eliza Jones, vs. Elizabeth Cooper, Martha Lovejoy, Charles Cooper, Henry Cooper, Thomas Cooper, William J. Cooper, George J. Cooper, John J. Cooper – Petition for Dower.  Satisfactory affidavit having been filed in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of said County, setting forth that Martha Lovejoy, Elizabeth Cooper, Charles J. Cooper, Henry Cooper, Thomas Cooper and William J. Cooper.  Notice is therefore hereby given, to the said Martha Lovejoy, Elizabeth Cooper, Charles Cooper, Henry Cooper, Thomas Cooper and William J. Cooper, that Eliza Jones the complainant therein, filed her petition for dower in said Court, on the Chancery side thereof, on the 12th day of June, 1862, and that a summons thereupon issued out of said Court against the above named defendants, returnable on the fourth Monday of September, 1862, as is by law required.
   Now, unless you, the said Martha Lovejoy, Elizabeth Cooper, Charles Cooper, Henry Cooper, Thomas Cooper, and William J. Cooper, shall personally be and appear before the said Court on the first day of the next term thereof, and then and there plead, answer or demur (illegible) to said petition for dower, the same and the matters and things therein charged and stated will be taken as confessed, and a decree entered against y ou in accordance with the prayer of said Petition.   J. M. TRUESDELL, Clerk.
   W. S. SEARLS, Sol. for Compl’t

According to the Waukegan Weekly Gazette (Waukegan IL) Saturday, April 1, 1865, page 2:

“CIRCUIT COURT CHANCERY NOTICE, Circuit Court of Lake County, June Term, 1865 in Chancery.  Henry Cooper, Charles Cooper and Thomas Cooper vs. John J. Cooper, Elizabeth Cooper, Martha Lovejoy, Peter Lovejoy and James Kapple. – Petition for Partition.  Satisfactory affidavit having been filed in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit court of said county, setting fouth that John J. Cooper, Elizabeth Cooper and Martha Lovejoy and Peter Lovejoy are not residents of the State of Illinois: Notice is therefore hereby given to the said John J. Cooper, Elizabeth Cooper, Martha Lovejoy and Peter Lovejoy, that Henry Cooper, Charles Cooper and Thomas Cooper, the complainants therein, filed their petition for partition in said Court, on the Chancery side thereof on the 28th day of March, 1865, and that a summons thereupon issued out of said Court against the above named defendants, returnable on the first Monday of June, 1865, as is by law required.
   Now, unless you, the said John J. Cooper, Elizabeth Cooper, Martha Lovejoy and Peter Lovejoy, shall personally be and appear before the said Court, on the first day of the next term thereof, and then and there plead, answer or demur to said bill of complaint, the same and the matters and things therein charged and stated, will be taken as confessed, and a decree entered against you in accordance with the prayer of said bill.  J. M. TRUESDELL, Clerk.
   J. L. Turner, Sol. for Pet’rs.   4w756