Marian Frances Cooper 1871-1923

Marian Frances Cooper is the youngest of the fourteen known children of Austin COOPER and Elizabeth GIBSON  in their 20 plus years together. She was born on 6 Nov 1871 in Galway, Ireland. Her birth location was Eyre Square directly across from the town’s railroad station. Austin was promoted to Superintendent of the Midland Great Western Railway.

Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, "Civil Records," database with images, IrishGenealogy.ie (https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/ : accessed 15 June 2017), image, birth registration of Marian Frances Cooper, (6 November 1871, Galway) citing Group Registration ID 11710438; registration filed 6 May 1872 by Edward Connidine, Deputy register, page 283, stamped no. 02198154, entry 351.

Her first sibling to marry was Alexander Sisson Cooper (my great-grandfather) in Dublin in 1875. Did the family travel for his wedding? Another brother, Henry, was also wed in Dublin in 1877. Two older sisters were married including Bessie in Ballintemple, Cavan, Ireland, 1878 and Mary in Killeshandra, Cavan, Ireland, in 1881. In 1883, her father, Austin, died in Bellananagh, Cavan, Ireland. So sometime between 1871-1878, Austin was moved to Co. Cavan from Galway.

Bessie Cooper Pearson’s (her elder sister) obituary shares the answer as to what happened to Frances after her father’s death (1883) and her mother’s travel to the United States (1884). Frances “made her home with Mrs. Pearson in Dublin, Ireland for about seven years before coming to America at the age of 19.” Aunt Bessie was very involved with the Baptist Church in Dublin.

Mrs. J.W. (Bessie) Pearson obituary. Sedalia Weekly Democrat, 2 Dec 1938, p.5, col. 4.  Newspapers.com on Ancestry.com: Accessed 18 Mar 2015.

I find “Maria” F. Cooper on board the S.S. City of Richmond leaving from Liverpool to New York City on 28 April 1890. The columns mention her age of 18, her sex as Female, a Spinster from [erased?], Ireland destined for Texas on line 1175. Image 115 of 735. She is traveling with her brother-in-law, John D. Pearson (married to Bessie), seen on line 1174. He is Male Age 39 a Clerk from [erased?] Ireland for Texas (see below).

"New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 June 2017), Image 115 of 735, Line 1175, Maria F. Cooper entry: citing List Number 555 of National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, Roll 547; Ship City of Richmond out of Liverpool, Francis S. Land master, arrived New York on 28 April 1890.

Three years later, Marian Frances is found in Galveston Co., Texas, marrying Fred Marion Gearhart on 23 Feb 1893. Fred Marion Gearhart was born 1 Jan 1870, in Osceola, St. Clair, Missouri.

Fred and Frances are found in the town of Wichita in the Kansas State Census of 1895. They have an 11-month old son, Frederick Irwin Gearhart (1894-1990) born in Houston, Texas. This states that Fred is a captain with the Salvation Army. This leads me to newspapers. I find the Gearharts mentioned in two articles about “the Salvationists” coming to the town of Waco, Texas, in the late summer of 1893.

By 1900 the Gearhart family is settled in Sedalia, Pettis, Missouri. Fred is a wood-dealer. They have their son and a daughter, Joy Muriel Gearhart (1896-1984), born 26 March 1896. A second daughter, Bessie Edna Gerhart (1902-1976), was born 25 Dec 1902. 

Elizabeth Gibson Cooper obituary, The Sedalia Democrat. Tuesday, May 2, 1905. page 3.,  col. 3.  www.newspapers.com. on Ancestry.com :  accessed 12 Feb. 2015. 

The three grandchildren were happy to see their grandmother, Elizabeth Gibson Cooper when she came to town to visit her youngest daughter in 1905. Elizabeth Gibson Cooper died on 1 May at the age of 77 in Sedalia, Missouri. Grandma Cooper is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Sedalia. I find her tombstone on Find a Grave (only front side is shown).

Find a Grave, datebase and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 02 Feb 2018), memorial page for Elizabeth Gibson Cooper (19 Apr 1828-30 Apr 1905), Find A Grave Memorial no. 146443552, citing Crown Hill Cemetery, Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri, USA; Maintained by andrea (contributor 48069374).

Fred and Frances’ youngest daughter, Juanita Zephyr Gearhart (1906-1944) was born the following year on 28 Oct 1906.

By 1910, Fred tried general farming in the Dresden Township. 

In 1920, Fred is a delivery trucker living in the neighboring town of Sedalia. 

On 14 Dec 1923, Marian Francis Gearhart died of apoplexy or a stroke contributed to hypertension in Sedalia, Missouri. She is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery.  She is listed as "Francis Marion Gearhart." Her husband, Fred Marion Gearhart is the supplier of the information on her death certificate. Her birthdate is 5 Nov 1871. He states her birthplace as County Galway, Ireland.  Her father is Austin Cooper, born in England (Ireland). Her mother is Elizabeth Gibson born in Scotland (Ireland).1

Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com: accessed 13 July 2017). memorial page for Frances Marian Cooper Gearhart (1872-1923), Find A Grave Memorial no. 77193350, citing Crown Hill Cemetery, Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri; the accompanying photograph by Diana is materially informative,

I have covered her parents in past blog posts proving their birth locations to be Ireland. Their family heritage includes England and Scotland.

Fred died 32 years after his wife. He died of heart failure on 9 July 1955. He is buried alongside his wife at Crown Hill Cemetery, in Sedalia, Missouri. His daughter, Joy M. Gearhart Hopper gave the information for his death certificate. His parents are listed as Virgil M. Gearhart and Carolina Roberts.2 


1. Pettis County, Missouri. Death Certificates. Death Certificate #37163 (1923) Francis Marion Gearhart; Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.  Missouri Digital Heritage. Death Certificates. www.sos.mo.gov.  ancestry.com : Accessed 23 Nov 2015.

2. Pettis County, Missouri. Death Certificates. Death Certificate #23121 (1955) Fred Marion Gearhart; Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.  Missouri Digital Heritage. DeathCertificates. www.sos.mo.gov. ancestry.com : Accessed 23 Nov 2015.