Merton Beth Cooley

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Merton Beth Cooley was born to Herbert Merton (Mert) and Elizabeth Holliday Cooley on Dec 7, 1907, in Crofton, Neb. His mother died in 1908 from complications of childbirth. His father was editor and publisher of the Crofton Journal so Beth and his elder brother, Ronald literally grew up in the newspaper business. On 14 Nov 1914, a car in which Herbert Merton was a passenger plunged off the Yankton pontoon bridge over the Missouri River drowning him and another passenger in the car. His body was never recovered. Robert Berton Cooley (a twin brother of Herbert Merton) and his wife Carrie Louella Miller had homesteaded to a farm near Flagler Colorado in 1910 and in 1912 Bert had started the Otis Independent in Otis, Colo., 59 miles north of Flagler. Upon learning of his brother's death, Bert sold the Independent and he and his wife and two sons moved back to Crofton to take over the newspaper. They immediately took in and raised Beth and his elder brother Ronald as members of the family. Beth was still just a small boy at this time but he was already working in the family business. "I could read upside down when I was about four or five, and I was hand-setting type before I went to school. To get the paper out, we were hand-setting type day and night. Us kids never knew anything else." In 1916, because of a worsening allergy condition, Bert sold the Crofton Journal and the family returned to Colorado to resume operation of the Otis Independent, this time with two more "sons" in tow. Beth attended school in Otis, graduating from Otis High School in 1927. He also proved to be a fine football player. In his younger years, Beth played trumpet in a local dance band called "The Night Hawks" and became an excellent performer. After graduation, Beth attended the University of Colorado for a short time, later moving back to Otis to help Bert with the newspaper. Beth married Viola Myfanwy Kyffin on May 25, 1929, in Otis and they had one son, Herbert Merton. His Uncle Bert continued to operate the Independent until the fall of 1928 when, in a trade, he swapped the Otis Independent for ownership in the Monte Vista Tribune, Monte Vista, Colorado. Within a few months, Bert disposed of the Tribune and the family moved to Akron, Colo., where he bought the Akron Semi-Weekly News and the Akron Reporter combining the two papers on February 28, 1929 into the Akron News-Reporter. Its first edition was published on 7 Mar 1929. Beth was an adept Linotype operator and he had a natural bent for mechanics of all kinds. Through the years he became known as one of the best repairmen on all printing machinery and was sought after by other newspapers in northeastern Colorado for repair work. On the retirement of the original owners of the Akron News-Reporter, his Uncle Bert and Aunt Lou, Beth and his cousin, Coyne Cooley, became the sole owners of the Akron News-Reporter, which they continued to operate until 1979. All in all, Beth had worked in the weekly newspaper business almost 68 years: from a four-year-old kid folding newspapers at the Crofton Journal to the sale of the Akron News-Reporter in 1979. In keeping with his interest in mechanics, he had a life-long love affair with the automobile (his favorite, Buick). Beth was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and a charter member of the Akron Rotary Club. He was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow. Merton Beth Cooley died at Sterling Regional MedCenter on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1992 ae 84. Funeral services were held Friday, Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. from the First Presbyterian Church in Akron with Rev. Kyle Weir officiating. Interment followed in the Akron Cemetery with Yeamans & Gordon Memorial Chapel in charge of arrangements.

Merton married Viola Myfanwy Kyffin on 25 May 1929 in Golden, Jefferson Co, Colorado. Viola (daughter of Seth James Kyffin and Julia S. Oram) was born on 20 Jan 1908 in Denver, Denver Co, Colorado; died on 1 May 1995 in Brush (Sunset Manor), Ft Morgan Co, Colorado; was buried on 4 May 1995 in Akron Cemetery, Washington Co, Colorado. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Herbert married Donna Lee Mountain in 1960. Donna was born on 16 Feb 1934 in Washington County, Colorado; died on 31 Jan 2016 in Longmont, Boulder Co, Colorado; was buried about Feb 2016 in Akron Cemetery, Washington Co, Colorado. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Note: May birthdate from date on picture.

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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