Age not slowing Cooper down one bit
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Betty Cooper, of Dunbar, lets the ball roll towards the pins at Yough Lanes Monday in Connellsville. Cooper, who bowls in two leagues, will celebrate her 92nd birthday Wednesday.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Betty Cooper, of Dunbar, makes her approach at Yough Lanes Monday in Connellsville. Cooper is an avid bowler and bowls in the Rainbow League at Yough Lanes and the Early Birds League at Manor Lanes, and will celebrate her 92nd birthday Wednesday.
Betty Cooper celebrates her 92nd birthday Wednesday and she’ll do the same thing she does every Wednesday morning this time of year.
The Dunbar woman will drive herself to Manor Lanes in Hopwood to bowl in the Early Birds League. She said so Monday night … while bowling in the Rainbow League at Yough Bowling Lanes in Connellsville.
“I just love bowling,” Cooper said. “I’ve been in both leagues for quite a while. These ladies are like family to me.”
Cooper, it seems, simply refuses to allow something as silly as age to get the best of her. She was widowed when her husband, Charles, died in 1987. “We bowled in different leagues together,” she said with a smile. “But we used to bowl together a lot, just to get out and do something.”
Bowling is part of Cooper’s active lifestyle. She drives herself to bowling and everywhere else she cares to go.
“I live alone, so I have to take care of everything,” she said. “I cut my own grass and I don’t have a rider, either. Too many hills for that.”
When she bowls, she rolls a pretty mean hook. “I just flip my wrist and it usually goes to the pocket. If not, it goes in the gutter.”
According to bowling partner Denise Brown, of South Connellsville, Cooper more than holds her own, regardless of competition.
“She’s not an ‘old lady bowler,'” Brown said. “We have 24 women in this league and her average (136 as of Monday) is right about in the middle. She’s out here to beat us every Monday. I started getting birthday cakes for her when she turned 80, so this is the 12th one and she’s going as strong as ever.”
As much as she loves bowling, Cooper confessed to a greater love.
“The Lord has been really, really good to me,” she said. “He’s been with me all along the way. He saved me as a teenager and has been by my side ever since.”
In fact, she now bowls with a lady (Mary Weimer) that she taught in Sunday school.
“I taught Mary at Dunbar Baptist,” Cooper said. “Now, we bowl together.”
She admitted she can’t remember when she started bowling. “But it was a while ago,” Cooper said. “That’s too many years ago to remember exactly.”
Brown said she and Cooper have bowled in the Rainbow League together for over 30 years. And Cooper doesn’t intend to quit anytime soon.
“I’ll keep bowling until I can’t continue,” Cooper said. “As long as I can throw it down there, I will.”
She said her best games were a couple of scores over 200, but adds “That was a long time ago.”
She’ll be content with her 130s average and having fun with her bowling family.