Grace B. Cooper

Cooper, Grace B. “Dade”, age 99, of Tampa and formerly of Bartow, passed away on Tuesday, December 15, 2009. She is survived by her daughter, Mrs. Jean Riggs, and son-in-law, Mr. Aubrey “Butch” Riggs of Land O’Lakes; granddaughter, Ms. Kimberly Riggs of Land O’Lakes; and grandson, Mr. Kevin Riggs of Brandon. Services will be held 1pm on Friday, December 18th, at Whidden-McLean Funeral Home, 650 E. Main St., Bartow. Grace was born in 1910 in the small town of Delavan, Wisconsin. She moved to Bartow as an infant and was raised by her maternal grandmother, Grace Tilden Burrows. She was a descendant of the prestigious Tilden family who traced their ancestors back to some of the original Mayflower passengers. Grace loved to dance, attend church, listen to music, create arts & crafts, and play bingo. She was a beloved resident of The Inn at University Village for the last 16 years of her life where she enjoyed participating in social activities and field trips. She was known to all by the meticulous care she took in her appearance. To her last days, she would always dressed in bright, festive jewelry; a matching dress and shoes; meticulous makeup and nail polish; and a bright bow in her hair. She was kind to everyone she met. She was a wonderful Mom and Nana. Her family loved her dearly and will miss her tremendously.