COOLEY, Johnny L. - d. September 11, 2011

[patyrn]

Johnny L. Cooley, 67, retired Boeing machinist, passed away Sunday, September 11, 2011. 

He is survived by his wife, JoRetta; children, Alan, Stephanie (Perry), Michael, and Tony (Jolenna), all of Augusta, Kansas; 7 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 16, 2011 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses on Highway 54 west of Augusta, Kansas. 

Services are under the direction of Baker Funeral Home, Wichita, Kansas.

(taken from the Augusta Gazette website)

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Johnny Cooley grew up in Howard and graduated from Howard High School in 1963.  He was the son of the late Carl and Ruth Cooley and brother of Evelyn Anne and Larry.

[larryJ]

Johnny and I were best friends during my summertime stays at my grandmother's house.  We went everywhere together, got into a lot of trouble together, worked the hay fields together............

My grandmother didn't think much of him, but I didn't care because he and I had a lot of fun together.  Once, when I had just arrived in town for the summer, he and I went on a double date.  He had a girlfriend and I was on a blind date.  We stayed out too late and he got grounded.  A few days later, he asked me to go to see his girlfriend and explain and apologize.  I did.  We fell in love.  The next Saturday, we went on a double date, me with my new girlfriend (Johnny's old girlfriend) and he was with my blind date from the week before.  Other than a few harsh words, he was okay with it.

We used to go to the his dad's barbershop and meet up with the farmers who came into the shop either for a haircut or just to talk and maybe hire a couple of teenagers to work the hay fields.  We probably still hold the record for the fastest time from Howard to Moline, even though I don't remember what it was.  Trips out to low water bridge to wash our cars were always fun if we took some girls with us.  Skinny dipping in a creek to wash the hay off after a long day of baling......hitchhiking from Severy after the car broke down and getting a ride within minutes from a farmer headed to Howard...driving down a dirt road and slamming on the brakes when a Ventures song came on the radio and jumping out of the car and jumping and dancing.....used to scare the girls when we did that the first few times, after that they just sat in the car watching two idiots.

This is sad news.  After my grandmother died in 1962, I didn't go back to Howard much so I lost contact with Johnny.  Then he got married, don't remember who, or which one, and was living in Piedmont.  Then I did visit him for the last time when he had moved to Augusta. 

Memories.............I find it hard to believe he is gone.  Rest in peace, Johnny old pal, rest in peace.......

Larryj

[Ole Granny]

Johnny sure could dance. Always at the Howard dance, we would share a few dances no matter who we were with. We were cousins  (of sort).  My grandmother was a Cooley. Ruth supplied me with much needed genealogy. He was a groomsman at my first wedding.  Have been going to look him up.  Sorry I did not.  Last I heard he was living in Douglas.

Sorry I missed the service.  My sympathy to his family.   Bye Johnny......