Sidney Cooper where she is most comfortable, at the piano..
Sidney Cooper finally figured out retirement
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Sidney Cooper where she is most comfortable, at the piano.. |
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| Sidney points out one of the many certificates and recognitions on the wall. More are on the wall behind her. |
Sidney Cooper of Tarkio tells the story so well. She had signed a contract to teach music at Tarkio High School for the 2010-2011 school year. That would be her 49th consecutive year. But one morning, all that changed.
“I had already signed a contract for next year. I got up one morning and by the time I got from my bedroom to that doorway,” she says as she walks the few steps from bedroom to living room, “I knew I was done. It was just like that.”
Sidney called her husband Gary (yes, she laughs, she’s married to Gary Cooper!) and told him her news. He didn’t believe her at first. He’d heard all this before. But this time, Sidney’s voice sounded different. This time, she really did mean it.
At 48 years, Sidney holds the Tarkio School record for most consecutive years of teaching.
“I have taught three generations,” she says with a touch of pride.
Sid’s story begins in the small town of Fairfax, MO.
“My dad was the postmaster,” Sidney explains.
Sid’s husband of 54 years grew up in Oregon, MO, another small town. His family started out farming on the Missouri bottomland, but got flooded out one too many times and moved to town.
“But my grandparents, aunts and uncles were still on the farm, so I spent my summers on the farm and the winters in town,” Gary explains.
Gary and Sid met at a church camp when he was a high school junior and she was a freshman.
“We were in a croquet tournament,” Sid tells the story. “And apparently I was standing too close because when he drew back to hit the ball, he hit me in the ankle! Knocked me down and back then I weighed probably 90 pounds soaking wet and he carried me back to the cabin!
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Sidney and Gary Cooper with their new camper. They enjoy traveling and plan to make good use of this vehicle in their retirement years! |
“After church camp I figured I’d never see him again but the next Saturday night, at the movies I was called out and there he was!”
The couple married right after Sidney finished high school. Gary was working as a heavy equipment operator and they settled in Fairfax where they lived for the next 25 years. After their first child was born, Sid decided to go to college.
“Music was my forte, but the superintendent at Fairfax told me to get certified in everything I could.” So she added English to her repertoire, but her music love called first.
As Sid was nearing graduation, the job as music teacher for grades 1-8 in Tarkio came open. Sid applied and was hired. She well remembers her first day.
“I was real excited about my job. I had been getting my room ready and I walked in that first day and everybody was crying. Our principal had passed away that morning. That was my start.”
Sid completed her high school certification and then started the Tarkio high school music program, beginning with mixed chorus. She pushed students to participate in all the standard music competitions and usually served as their accompanist, something she figures she’ll still do during her retirement years. She worked with high school musicals, took choirs to the state capital, local club meetings, any place she could find for a performance. She speaks fondly of her many students through the years.
“They were my extended family. I knew them. I knew their families. I knew all about them. And they were always in and out of our house. We always had kids here.”
After teaching for 32 years, Sidney retired. Well, not really.
“They had a retirement party for me and gave me a gift and everything,” she recalls. “But I decided to teach part-time and I chose the high school part. Then I can back for two years and taught full-time in a school hardship situation. Then I was going to cut back to part-time again, but now I’m not. I’m done.”
She’s leaving the program in good hands, however, because her replacement is a former student.
“They will be just fine, I’m sure.”
After 48 years of lesson plans, prepping for contests and musicals, what will Sidney use to fill her time? Oh, she and Gary have plans.
“We’ve been camp hosting at Big Lake for several years, but because of the flood, that’s on hold until next year. The four grandkids will keep us busy and we’re Branson people. We’re leaving next week and will be there most of the summer. And we’ll be on call for baby-sitting. I probably will do some substituting.”
Speaking of grandchildren, Gary and Sidney raised two daughters: Roseann Nemyer of Fairfax and Stacy Hughes of Rock Port. They have four grandsons, from kindergarten through college freshman. All very active.
“Bleacher butt from now on!” Gary laughs.
Because she is an accomplish pianist, Sidney has played for hundreds of funerals and weddings. She was a church accompanist for many years, serving the Christian Church in Fairfax and then the Baptist Church in Tarkio.
“Now, we’re Presbyterians,” she smiles.
Sidney also developed an interest in herb gardening and you find references to that throughout her home. That, as well as mementoes from former students, newspaper clippings from contest performances, and several awards and recognitions for her many years of service.
With retirement really on the horizon, is Sidney looking forward to anything in particular? Getting out with the new camper, enjoying the grandchildren, and no alarm clock, although she notes that she wakes up early anyway. Old habits die hard. But Sid is certain she’ll make retirement work this time.
“There are other things to do. I just don’t know what they are yet!”