James R. Cooley

James R. “Jim” Cooley, age 87, of Prairie du Chien, formerly of Bloomington, passed away peacefully August 31, 2024, at Edenbrook in Platteville. Jim was born October 20, 1936, the son of Archibald and Dorothy (Birch) Cooley. He graduated from Bloomington High School and later married Mary Lou Barr on August 1, 1957, in Bloomington. Together, they farmed in Bloomington from 1965 until the time of Mary’s death in August 1992. Jim worked for 30 years at John Deere Dubuque Works, retiring as an inspector.

Jim enjoyed all kinds of sporting activities and was an avid hunter and fisherman. He loved basketball and baseball and was a very good softball player, pool player and pitcher of horseshoes. Jim played all kinds of card games and was an excellent euchre and cribbage player. He was a fan of the Packers and Badgers and had a special fondness for the Chicago Cubs that he shared with Mary.

He is survived by his five boys, Roger (Cindy), Tom (Janice), Dennis (Stephanie), Rich (Kristi) and Rodney (Melissa), his brother Jon (Gloria), brother-in-law Jerry Wilkinson and special friend, Betty Cejka. He is also survived by his grandchildren Heather, Jarred, Nathan, Kristen, Morgan, Taylor, Logan, Will, Mitchell, Sam, Jensen, Micaela and Allen, and great-grandchildren Emelia, Oliver, Tyrion, Beckett, Copeland and Lily and many nieces and nephews. Jim adored all of them.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Mary, sisters Shirley (Henry) Steiner and Ilene Wilkinson, brother Bob (Delores), and a son John Glenn.

Funeral services will be Monday, September 9, 2024, at 10:30 AM at the Martin Schwartz Funeral Home & Crematory, Bloomington, WI, with Pastor MaryAnn Floerke presiding. Burial to follow in the Bloomington Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday, September 8, 2024, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM and on Monday from 9:30 AM until the time of services at the funeral home. 

The family would like to express its gratitude for the excellent care Jim received over the past few months at Edenbrook Platteville.

In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to the endowment of the Cooley Family Scholarship at Southwest Tech, which supports River Ridge High School graduates with preference given to those pursuing degrees in agriculture-related programs.