On Wednesday, November 17, 2021, Harriet Christine Copus, loving wife and mother of three children, passed away at the age of 96 in Overland Park, Kansas.
Harriet was born on April 17, 1925, in Castle Rock township, Grant County, Wisconsin to Leonard and Hannah Bach and was raised on a dairy farm in rural Castle Rock, along with her sister Laura.
Harriet married her beloved husband Hank Copus on November 21, 1944, after Hank came back from fighting with the 112th Cavalry in the South Pacific during World War II. Together they had two daughters and a son: Joan Dell, Cheryl, and Larry. Hank and Harriet were married for fifty-six years until Hank’s death in 2000. Harriet continued to live in Wisconsin until 2014 when she moved to Kansas to be near her son.
Harriet and Hank were dairy Farmers for about 20 years in Hickory Grove and Homer, Wisconsin, Hickory Grove Township. Eventually they moved to Fennimore, WI to manage the Napps Motel for 12 years, along with managing the Fennimore Answering Service (24/7) for the city police, volunteer rescue squad, and fire department. In 1967 when the Southwest Technical School in Fennimore, WI opened their doors, Harriet was a receptionist until her retirement after 23 years. Many in the area remember her answering their calls, and in 2017 when Southwest Tech celebrated 50 years, they planted the first tree in her honor.
Harriet’s love of animals was well known, especially small dogs. Her last and most beloved of dogs was Sadie the American Eskimo that she took in after the death of Hank. Sadie and Harriet were inseparable, and wherever Harriet went, Sadie came too. Even after her health difficulties kept her from having her own pets, she looked after the dogs of her friends and neighbors. When she moved to a retirement community in Kansas, her loved ones often heard about the health and wellbeing of the various animals that lived there, before she got to talking about the residents. That’s not to say that Harriet didn’t make human friends as well, even at 95 years old she sent and received over 100 Christmas cards a year!
Harriet’s father Leonard was 100% German. and her mother Hannah was 100% Norwegian, but the Norwegian side definitely won out. Harriet loved all things Norwegian and was a charter member of the Sons of Norway in Fennimore. Her grandchildren fondly remember the Lefsa she made, and she was sure to have a fresh batch whenever they visited.
Faith was extremely important to Harriet; she was a lifelong member of the Lutheran Church. She was a 58-year member of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Fennimore. When Harriet moved to Kansas, she switched to being a member of Castle Rock Church where she grew up as a girl and was married. Harriet also “did for others” which is what she called her service work in the area. The Fennimore community could count on Harriet if they were ailing in some way, to have fresh baked goods or her famous raspberries delivered to them.
Gardening was a passion of Harriet’s; her flowers and raspberry bushes were well known in the community. She also was a passionate baker, using her raspberries in many of her desserts.
Dancing was another passion of hers, and often when she told stories of her younger years it was sprinkled with the names of the different boys she danced with. She often talked about dancing with “the Culver boys” who are now famous for their burger restaurants across the county. She loved big band music and danced well into her twilight years, only stopping when her health failed. She also loved to travel, after their retirement her and Hank visited Hawaii, Montreal, Quebec, and Nashville, TN among other places.
Family was probably the most important thing for Harriet, and she doted on her children throughout their lives. Sadly, Joan Dell passed away as an infant from pneumonia. But Harriet was extremely proud of Cheryl and Larry and was there for every major event in their lives. Cheryl became a nurse and moved to Eau Claire, WI where she married David Johnson. She later received her masters in nursing, becoming a nurse practitioner. Her son Larry worked in operations management, and married Beverly Droessler. Larry and Bev eventually settled in Stilwell, KS.
Harriet was preceded in death by her parents Leonard and Hannah, sister Laura, husband Hank, daughters Joan Dell and Cheryl, son-in-law David, and many other family members and friends. Harriet is survived by her son Larry (Beverly), grandchildren: Travis (Laura) Copus, Sean Copus, David (Brenna) Johnson, and Maggie (Ryan)Miller. Great grandchildren: Liam, Dane, Soren, Sophie, Nolan, and Nash.
A funeral service for family and friends will be held Saturday December 4, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. at Castle Rock Lutheran Church with burial to follow in the church cemetery. There will be no formal visitation prior to the funeral service at the church. All who plan on attending will be required to wear face coverings. In lieu of plants and flowers memorials may be given to the Southwest Technical College Foundation or Castle Rock Church Cemetery in loving memory of Harriet Copus.