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Untitled (3)SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 1948 YUUGHKEEPSIE SU blind Pastor to Become Bridegroom; Fulfills Determination to Lead Normal Determination to lead a normal life despite the handicap of blindness has been fulfilled by the Rev. Delmar Cooper, pastor of the New Hacken- sack Reformed church, whose forthcoming marriage tomorrow signifies achievement of happiness and success through great personal courage. Mr. Coopq has been sightless Since h -a was 1.5. He lost both eyes when a cannon backfired at, a Houle Guard muster at Hyde Park in 1918. Mrs Dorothy Halleck Mead, di- rector of religious education for the a��� Dutchess County Ministerial asso- ciation, will be. the bride. The cere- mony will take place at, the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Halleck, at Salt Point. A marriage ceremony written by the bridegroom two years ago for his own official use will be recited by Dr. Philip Allen Swartz, pastor of the First Congregational church of this city. The Rev. Walter A. Scholten, pastor of the Arlington Reformed Church, also will assist with the nuptials. a w w THE GRAYING, soft-spoken pas- tor will take his bride to the spacious white frame parsonage which stands on the opposite side of the road from his church. He has occupied the parsonage since tile spring of 1944 with a friendly German shepherd Dell, his constant companion for the last four years. Dell, obtained by Mr. Cooper at the Seeing Eye Foundation, Morris- town. N. J., is the minister's seconc dog. Luke, another German shep- herd, had to be destroyed when hr developed a hernia. Dell greets he] master's parishioners as they ente the church and leads her master u the aisle to the pulpit where sh lies in silence at his side throughou the service. After having to do his own cook ling and housekeeping, Mr. Coope will be glad to turn these duties ove t.o Mrs. Cooper. Released fror household chores, he now can devot more time to his diversified chure and conunanity activities, Mrs. Cooper is going to be bus. too, in her new rote as housewif which she will combine with that c a religious education director. He contract with the Dutchess Count Ministerial association has two for ,y -ears to go, and she intends to corn plete it. Life Poughkeepete New TorKer ruui,u Pougakeepsie New Yorker Photo THE REV. MR. COOPER delivers a sermon in the pulpit of the New THE REV. DELMER COOPER Hackensack Reformed church with DELL, his faithful German Shep- with his German Shepherd, DELL. herd, at his side. r I cofr}pany for New Hackensack. P originally advanced by the church, e sponsorship of this undertaking was t sh uildered by the Grange. But church members, many of whom also - belong to the Grange, are assisting r and their pastor is one of the hardest r' workers. n When the Grange staged a min- e strel to raise funds for the fire com- h pauy, Mr. Cooper wrot.e nine songs for the show and directed the entire y production. e Built in 1834, the church virtually of has undergone a renaissance since r Mr. Cooper became its pastor little y more than four years ago. Church e membership has grown from 41 to more than 90 wit.h the services last Easter attracting more than 200 wor- + + snipers. Sunday school attendance IN ADllITION to his church acti- ha. more than tripled, for which Vides. Mr. Cooper is active in the the minister modestly gives credit Mt. Hope Grange of which he is to Mrs. Nicholas Schafer, the super - youth director. He is fostering a intenclent. Close coope.ratio between the church and the Grange in various con>ruu- nity projects. w w w THE SON of a. Baptist preacher, Mr. Cooper did not enter the minis- try himself until about seven years ago. Indirectly, it was the loss of his sight which brought him into the pulpit. Born at Fort Edward, N. Y., in arkness, Delmer spent, long, painful aonths in Vassar Brothers' hospital. ,,it through it all he maintained the aith and courage -which later was o mark his work in the ministry. In January of the next year, he entered the State School for the 31ind at Batavia, where he spent two 'ears. Then he enrolled in Ithaca lonservatory for courses in elocu- ion and dramatics, graduating in 923. After some post graduate work at Ile Conservatory, Mr. Cooper em- )arked upon a career as a lecturer rnd after-dinner speaker. Making its headquarters in Ithaca, he ,raveled in New York, New Jersey Ind Pennsylvania and also spent one minter in Florida. But then came the depression years which, combined with the in- -oads of the rapidly -growing radio ndustry, practically eliminated the Demand for his services. This was the situation when, in 1934, he re- turned to Dutchess and set up shop in Poughkeepsie to teach speech and voice culture. His classes grew as the word spread of his ability both as a speaker and an instructor, and in this manner he succeeded in earning a, living for the next seven or eight years. September, 1902, he spent his boy- hood in various New York and AMONG MR. COOPER'S pupils Massachusetts communities where were several pastors, one of them his father held pastorates. urged that he go into the ministry. In 1918, the elder Mr. Cooper was He thought it over for a time and minister of the Baptist church in Bangall. Young Delmer was attend - ng Millbrook High school when the unitcci States entered the war to' snake the world cafe for democracy. i Eliger to serve his country, heen- t.e,red the Dutchess County Horne De- fense league although eligible only for cadet membership because he was ucder 16. Then eauae that fateful day when Defense league Mils from all over oh_ county participated in a inass iohilization at Hyde Park. Thou- sands of patriotic Dutchess residents � It, d applauded and cheered as one eompan,v atter another performed various military drills and exercises. At the close of the program, Del- naer was designated to fire retreat. All eves were fastened upon the slip of a boy in khaki vrhen tragedy su-uck. Flame and smoke burst from the (!annon, accompanied ',)y a loud l roar as the weapon backfired, and the gunner fell writhing in agony before the horrified onlookers, IIOOMEO TO A LIFETIME of finally acted upon the suggestion. Entering Croner Theological semin- ary at Chester, Pa., lie took special studies and was ordained a Baptist minister in October, 1943, in the First Baptist church here, The first of November he took over the pulpit of the New Hackensack church as stated supply minister. ,The next May Ile was fully installed as pastor. It was quite an under- taking, particularly because the church had been without a minister for several years. Typical of the spirit which has taken root in Mr. Cooper's congrega- tion was the recent redecorating of both the church and adjacent chapel at an expenditure of some $3,000. Moving spirits behind the redecor- ating project were Sidney Smith, New Hackensack grocer, and Joseph Schmalzl, former operator of a dry cleaning business in ' Bronxville who now owns a home in the community. Under their leadership, more than $1,000 was raised for redecorating the interior of the church. Pastor Cooper hopes that, the men who have interested themselves in the paint- ing projects will "snowball" into a men's club. other church groups include a Young Married Couple's club, now ill its fourth season. About a dozen couples comprise the membership. "But we soon will have another couple in the club," Mr. Cooper grinned happily.