Deb moved to Jefferson City with her husband, Dave, in 2007. They came from northwest Ohio, where Deb had founded Nature’s Nursery, a non-profit organization dedicated to wildlife rehabilitation and conservation education.
Nature’s Nursery is a remarkable organization: It handles 200 emergency calls a week; admits over 3,700 injured, orphaned or ailing animals a year into its facility; and reaches over 15,000 people annually through its educational programming and animal ambassadors.
In Jefferson City, Deb quickly rose to civic duty, driving to improve the community’s “old schoolhouse” into what it is today. Along with Helen Siderits, she initiated events such as Trunk or Treat, Community Days and more, activities that still thrive.
Deb passed away in August at her home with her dogs and husband by her side. For the previous year, she had endured a debilitating disease and great pain. Dave, their daughter and son-in-law, and their grandchildren will carry her story forward. Her spirit lives on in her work in Jefferson City and we miss her smile.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either of two organizations to which she devoted much time, energy and love during her extraordinary life: Nature’s Nursery, PO Box 2395, Whitehouse, OH 43571 or the Jefferson City Community Center, PO Box 1, Jefferson City, MT 59638.
Terri Kunz
Deb is the reason there even is a Nature’s Nursery. It is because of her and her husband Dave that thousands of wild animals and the people who care about them have been helped in northwest Ohio.
The Coopers started Nature’s Nursery in their home and their garage back in 1989. Deb said it was supposed to have been a hobby. Little did she know that it was going to grow into the organization that it has become.
Deb had a vision and a desire to help balance the scales for Ohio wildlife. She saw the effects a growing human population was having on the wildlife and wanted to do what she could to keep things a bit more in balance. She knew that the work that we were doing wasn’t going to change things on a grand scale when it came to populations … but one animal at a time.
The work she started was making a difference not only for those individual animals but in the hearts of the people who were looking for help for them. Nature’s Nursery is not strictly an animal organization. These animals don’t get to us on their own. They get to us because people care. And she wanted to encourage those people to continue to care about the animals that they share this planet with.
Deb was funny, kind-hearted, sarcastic, generous, stubborn, tenacious … I could go on and on. I’m going to miss my friend.
Laura Zitzelberger
