Margaret Gene Cooper Newendorp, age 82, of Tulsa, passed away on August 9, 2025, from failing health. She was surrounded in love by her children, granddaughter, siblings, nieces, nephews and friends, who all came to visit in her final days.

Margaret was born on August 15, 1942, in Oklahoma City, the first-born child of DeRuse and Willou Cooper. She graduated from Okmulgee High School in 1960, where she had been a member of the Key Notes, an elite female choral group.

She then went on to attend Oklahoma City University on a music scholarship. At OCU, the exclusive Surrey Singers invited her to audition and join the singing group. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority. After changing majors, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in education. She returned to OCU some years later and earned a master’s degree in education.

Margaret met her future husband James (Jim) Vernon Newendorp in September of 1964 at a party in Denver, where she had moved after college and was teaching first grade. Jim was attending the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. After Jim graduated in May of 1965, the couple traveled to Okmulgee, where they married on June 12 of that year at First United Methodist Church. Jim attended graduate school at Purdue University. After his graduation there, the couple moved to Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas for Jim to work as a flight instructor. During their time there, the couple welcomed two children, James Eric in May of 1967 and Amy Helen in August of 1969. From there, the family moved to Mountain Home, Idaho so Jim could train with other pilots to fly the RF-4C Phantom II after Jim was called to serve in the Vietnam War. Before heading overseas, Jim relocated the family to Moore so Margaret would be nearer to family in Oklahoma, to Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City and close to dear friends, Tom and Earlene Morgan, who already lived there. Tragically, Jim was killed in action on October 1, 1971. He is buried at the Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colo. The couple was married six years before Jim’s death.

Margaret worked as an elementary teacher in the Moore Public Schools district. She was a substitute teacher for almost 14 years before taking a full-time position. She mostly taught 4th grade (it was her favorite age to teach). She worked first at Red Oak Elementary, and then at Fisher Elementary before she retired in 1998 after being granted a medical disability. Margaret was an excellent teacher and was loved by her students and fellow faculty alike.

She was blessed to have had many wonderful August 15, 1942 – August 9, 2025

“teacher friends,” and was also blessed to have a large group of loving and dear friends in Moore that for many years spent time together bowling, playing bridge, attending their children’s activities and gathering for holidays and other special events.

Margaret was an excellent cook and she loved to prepare food for others. She loved to sing and was very creative. Having been a painter, she put her talent to use over the years by making homemade cards and hand-drawn items for family and friends.

Margaret was raised in First United Methodist Church (UMC) of Okmulgee and was active in the youth group. She raised her children at New Life UMC and later attended First United Methodist, both located in Moore. She volunteered with the youth at New Life and was a member of the Horizon Sunday School class at First UMC. She later moved to Colorado and spent 12 wonderful years living in Golden, close to Amy’s family, being a part of her grandchildren’s lives and attending church services there before moving to Tulsa in 2021 to be close to Eric’s family. In Tulsa, she enjoyed watching Sunday services of Faith UMC from home, as her niece Heather is the head pastor there.

Remaining to cherish Margaret’s memories are her son, James Eric and daughter-in-law Christina Newendorp of Tulsa; daughter Amy Helen Newendorp and son-in-law Michael Jones of Punta Gorda, FL; grandchildren, Alexander Donald Jones of Soldotna, Alaska, James Evan Blue Newendorp of Tulsa, Margaret (Maggie) Ann Jones of Denver and John Schuyler Finn Newendorp of Tulsa. She also leaves her sister Helen (Bill) Nygard of Okmulgee and brother Dr. Ben Cooper of Lawton. She has many loved and cherished nieces and nephews as well.

Preceding Margaret in death are her husband James V. Newendorp, her parents DeRuse and Dorothy Willou Cooper, brother DeRuse (De) Eugene Cooper Jr., and grandmothers, Helen Swain Mitchener and Alta (George) Cooper.

Services will be held August 15, 2025, at 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Okmulgee, with Rev. Heather Scherer and Rev. Diana Northcut officiating. Interment will be held in Colorado Springs at the Air Force Academy.

Memorial donations in Margaret’s memory may be directed to the Profound Autism Alliance and/or LifeShare Network.