Its a bummer really that the first bit of news for the new site is a sad thing. We lost one of our members and aviation pioneers, Earl Cooley, 0n Monday November 9th, 2009. This obituary if from the Missoulian newspaper on Nov. 13th. We will all miss him.
MISSOULA – Earl E. Cooley, 98, pioneer smokejumper, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family on Monday, Nov. 9, 2009.
Earl was born Sept. 26, 1911, in Sarpy Creek. His mother, Daisy Dyckman, and father, Wilford, homesteaded along Sarpy Creek 40 miles northeast of Hardin. In 1923, his family lost all their savings and moved to a small farm near Corvallis. Earl delayed finishing high school for two years to work on his father’s farm and to run a trapline. After graduation from Corvallis High School in 1930, he worked on various ranches throughout the Bitterroot Valley picking apples and topping beets.
Earl thought the Forest Service seemed to fit his love of hunting, fishing and trapping so he hired on as a fire guard. He started Forestry School in Missoula in the fall of 1937. He had been out of school eight years and missed the first five weeks of his first quarter because he was quarantined with smallpox. During his four years at the UM, he worked for the Forest Service and built a house for his mother, his sister and himself. Upon graduating in 1941, he moved the house onto a new foundation and added two rooms. Earl and his steady girlfriend, Irene Goldie Cook, were married June 8, 1941.
In 1940, an experimental smokejumping project started in Region 1 and Region 6. Rufus Robinson and Earl made the first fire jumps on Martin Creek in the Nez Perce National Forest. In 1942, he was given an occupational deferment to continue fighting forest fires. By the spring of 1943, there was a manpower shortage to fight forest fires so volunteers were solicited from the Civilian Public Service program. Earl trained conscientious objectors (members of the Mennonites, Brethren and Friends) to become squad leaders and riggers for all the regions. The fire training was done at Nine Mile Camp and Camp Menard at Seeley Lake. The CPS program was terminated the summer of 1945. One of the greatest tragedies of his life occurred Aug. 5, 1949. Earl was the spotter on the Mann Gulch fire, where 13 men, 12 of them smokejumpers, died in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness in Helena National Forest.
In the fall and winter of 1944, Earl served briefly on the Kootenai National Forest in Libby. In 1950, he became the district ranger of the Red River District in the Nez Perce National Forest. Earl enjoyed the great hunting and fishing along the Salmon River; his family also enjoyed five wonderful summers at the Red River Ranger Station. In 1955, he was transferred to the Noxon District that included the Cabinet Wilderness. There Earl was very active in community affairs and served as president of the Chamber of Commerce and the PTA. He enjoyed bowling, and, of course, hunting and fishing.
In 1958, Earl returned to Missoula as the Smokejumper Base superintendent. He built his own house at 2801 Queen St., where he installed a bowling alley in the basement. He wasn’t quite ready to retire from the Forest Service, so in 1971 so he became a regional equipment specialist. He was quite proud of being a part of some new inventions, including a tanker capable of releasing 1,000 gallons of retardant rather than the previous 300-gallon capacity tanker. In 1975, he retired from the Forest Service to pursue in a new career in real estate. In 1976, he became a broker for Cooley Realty.
One of his greatest achievements was writing about his life and his history with the Forest Service in his 1984 book, “Trimotor and Trail.” He continued to share his experiences through countless interviews and storytelling.
Earl was the founder and past president of the National Smokejumper Association (1993-1995) and was named president emeritus in recognition of his ongoing commitment and contributions to the smokejumpers. In recent years, Earl presented the graduating rookie smokejumpers with their jumping pins and graduation certificates.
Earl lived a full and amazing life, having spent 68 wonderful years with his wife, Irene. Earl remained very active until the last year of his life, including overseeing the annual harvest of his cherry and apple trees. The family would like to thank Hospice of Missoula for their compassion, care and support over the last year.
He was preceded in death by seven brothers and sisters. His remaining brother Bob lives in Polson; and his sister, Betty Jane Meyer lives in Missoula. He is survived by his wife, Irene, 89; and his five daughters and sons-in-law, Sharon and Tod Hackman of Mesa , Ariz., Marabeth and Larry Fite of Stevensville, Barbara and Don Ranstrom of Chinook, Cheryl and Duane Zemliska of Nampa, Idaho, and Marcy and Mark Halvorson of Missoula. He also is survived by 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
The memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16, at the Sunset Funeral Home. A family burial will take place at 2 p.m. Monday, at the Corvallis Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the National Smokejumper Association or Hospice of Missoula.
