MEET THE COOPERS

Meet the Coopers: A Prosper Family

Darren and Kelly had two little girls ready to enter the public school system. It was time to find a community that fit their plans for establishing their own family roots. They looked around Carrollton and North Plano. They looked at Frisco, McKinney, and Little Elm. They found what they were looking for and chose to make Prosper their home!

by jb blocker

 

  Prosper: With the appeal that likely brought your family too, its large lots and blossoming family friendly developments. It was already developing a reputation of high median income and housing that beckoned families just like them. Great schools and small town connectivity would prove to be a drawing card for many who wanted to feel like they were home.

   I’ve heard it said that people do not move to Prosper to leave. They move to Prosper to stay!

  You can go out of town to get away and you stay home to be a part of something bigger. A family!

  Prosper is basically at the crossroads of Highway 380 and Preston Road centered between Denton (I-35) and  McKinney (I-75). Preston Road leads to Celina and beyond to the north and Frisco, Plano, and Dallas to the south. Just to the west is the North Dallas Toll way and just south are Loops 121 to DFW and George Bush.

  This location is, shall we say, ideally situated to access many jobs and big city attractions for a broad range of the professional market. From doctors, lawyers, and officials, to service and product professionals, to retirees and empty nesters, and to all the entrepreneurial souls who want to get away and then go home.

Home: 

   Darren never really had that. He travelled with his father’s work in the oil fields. During his youth he lived in 22 different Texas towns, attended 3 different high schools, and couldn’t really claim a home town. Darren is clearly a proud Texan, he just hadn’t had any chance to set his roots.. He had achieved a respected position with his company that had him as a key onsite adviser in the operating room for surgical implants of the medical devices he represented.  

  Life was good and it gave Darren the chance to actually establish those roots. He could do his job, leave it behind to enjoy daughters Mia learning the drums and Sawyer learning the trumpet, cheering, serving in Girl Scouts, and able to be part of a school system that they could grow up with. They would be able to have life time friends and a place to call home.

  Besides having a gym membership to burn off the tension of a high pressure job, the only other thing he needed, he had. He had a wife who was a best friend, and a warrior for their family’s well being, at home and in the community.

  His income was strong, and he and Kelly were able find a community in which they could enjoy and nurture their family. Everything they wanted pointed to Prosper. And that is where they built the home just the way they wanted it, to last them a life time.  The Cooper family is blessed, and they know it.

  Kelly came from a very different back ground. Her family of six children have always been close and her parents were rocks of their community, where they still reside after more than 50 years. Everyone knew the Sibley family. And they certainly knew the twins Kelly and Katie. If you know Kelly, think stereo.

  Their hometown of Rochester is a town of about 100K between Austin and Winona, in Southeast Minnesota! It’s very close to nowhere, but close enough to everywhere, a little like Prosper. 
  Kelly’s father John Sibley served his way up the ranks of the Rochester PD from walking a beat at age 19, to retiring as the Deputy Chief of Police in their home town. He has won Minnesota State Pistol Shooting Championships and many other marksman competitions, which have repeatedly forced multiple trophy case expansions. 
  Her mother Lois was a career nurse until the twins (kids # 5 & 6) were born. It was then that she started a home daycare.  Lois often won the women’s pistol shooting competitions as well, shooting in the Police wives “Powder Puff” League.

The family camped, gardened, traveled the country by road, and enjoyed the outdoors whenever possible. “When Katie and I were little, we had a big old circus tent. Then later we got a pop-up camper, and then a very nice camper/trailer and fishing boat."

  We went to all kinds of shooting events around the state and everyone knew and respected my dad. When I got my CHL (concealed handgun license) , my parents were the first people I called!  My Dad laughed with pride and called me ‘Annie Oakley’.”

  Family friend and lifelong law enforcement officer Buck Kraeger watched the girls grow up and still keeps up with the whole family. “The Sibley family are well respected in the community. They were concerned and active citizens who were always involved in school and local activities. John and Lois raised great kids. I really enjoyed seeing the twins’ antics as they grew in to lovely well adjusted ladies.

  Kelly and Kate are identical twins who have always been driven, genuine, and vivacious. I can tell you this says Buck, “If either of them took an interest in something, they took it serious. They got that from both their parents. They have good heads on their shoulders and they didn’t go running around half-cocked! There’s a life lesson for you. A good marksman knows that!”

  Aunt Janie Hass goes on to say, “Kelly especially didn’t really care whether her opinions were popular. When she sets her mind, she is true to her convictions. She still has that leadership ability to step back, take a look from others perspective, and rethink her options. That’s a great trait to have!”

A Family Tradition

  It’s not hard to see why Kelly immediately became active in her community. She grew up with that example her whole life. She knew the importance of community leadership. She had learned from parents who were leaders and supporters and most of all, actively informed. Half truths or hidden agendas would never set with her.

  Darren supports his wife in her active community involvement. “My wife is not an Activist, she is Active! I am so proud of how she handles everything she does. She supports me, the girls, our home, our church, our schools, and the community with grace and passion. She gives Cooper a very good name.”

Lay-offs happen. It can happen to you. It happened to Darren.

   "One day, I was out of town on business when I was notified that I was being laid off. My mind raced. We’ve got this great home with a healthy mortgage, centrally located 15 miles from anywhere and nowhere. I felt blindsided! My kind of job is not easy to come by. I called Kelly right away.”

   So what does Kelly do besides reassure her hubby? Darren continues, “Kelly did what she does, she made me feel secure and confident. And within two weeks, she had gone out and gotten a job! I picked up the slack around the house with the girls school activities and Kelly went to work. Even so, she would come home with her positive attitude and help me prepare resumes and talk over job opportunities and options..”

   It might be noted that Darren found a better job in the same field after 4 very anxious months. He is now back inside the O.R. for critical spinal surgeries. “I’ve got to brag some more on Kelly, adds Darren, She still kept up her commitments to the community and especially the school board, city, county, state, and national policies that effect the home and life style that we envisioned when we chose to make Prosper our home for life…and we have no doubt it will be.”  

Collin County Sheriff Terry Box had this to say. “Kelly Cooper is a hands on kind of person.  She gets involved to find out how things work and why.  She is not only very involved, but she is also very informed in every level of government.  She recently participated in the citizens Sheriff's Academy for 14 weeks spending her time learning about every division of the Office. Thanks for participating.

Terry G. Box.  
 

  I met Kelly though a mutual friend who was actively involved in the Prosper Tea party.   Later, she joined the Prosper Rotary Club and we served our community as Rotarians.   The Coopers are neighbors of mine in the Lakes of La Cima sub-division.   

  I am supporting Kelly in the upcoming run-off election because she is a person of high integrity, she is honest, believes in (and knows well) the Constitution and will always put the best interests of Prosper Residents in first place.

Todd Baker, Service First Mortgage

Ann Lieber, an active Prosperite and friend adds, 

"I logged onto the Dallas Tea Party in the summer of 2009...When I added my zip code as instructed a name popped on the screen "Kelly Cooper, Coordinator for zip code 75078." We were both relatively new to the Town of Prosper.  I had also moved to the town of approx 5,500 a mere 3 years ago.

  Once the first Prosper Tea Party was scheduled by Kelly in Prosper it became clear that this Kelly Cooper was someone special. She came with a "friendly, open, bigger than life" energy--- that I was absolutely meant to meet.

  I have great appreciation for people of honor.  People who are genuine, approachable, unpretentious, forthright, grounded, fun loving, adventurous, and brave with rock solid values and convictions. Kelly is all these things. I love to call her "Minnesota nice" because that's exactly what she is... Nice! Perhaps "Texas Friendly" relates well to "Minnesota Nice!" ---It translates!

  For more on Kelly Coopers local activities go to:
northtexasreporter.blogspot.com/2012/10/kelly-cooper-i-am-prepared.html?spref=fb  

- J.B. Blocker is a media consultant based in Collin County in North Texas. Advertise with J.B. by calling 469-334-9962. Email: jbnorthtexas@gmail.com or jbblocker@hotmail.com.