Ila June Cope

Ila June Small Cope, age 93, passed away peacefully at her home in Mesa, Arizona on January 4, 2020. Ila was born March 23, 1926 in Wood, SD, the 4th of 5 children born to Edwin and Anna (Hughes) Small. She grew up on a farm in rural South Dakota during the depression. The dust bowl of the ’30;s forced the family to relocate to Rapid City, South Dakota where she met and married Vernon Cope on December 18, 1942. They became the parents of six children: Vernon Lee, Judy Kay, Terry Wayne, Dennis Dee, Merle Edward, and Tanya Ann. They have 36 grandchildren, 96 great grandchildren, and 37 great great grandchildren. Ila was preceded in death by all of her siblings, cousins and in laws, as well as her husband (1973), three of her children (Vernon 2003, Judy 1982, Terry 2013), three grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

Professionally Ila was an accomplished upholsterer, seamstress, restaurant operator, cosmetics distributor, salesman, real estate agent and dance instructor. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and held many positions throughout her life.

Services are set for Saturday, January 11, 202 at the 11:00 am in the Recker Road LDS chapel located at 1430 N. Recker Road in Mesa. She will be interred with her husband in the Ft. Meade National Cemetery near Sturgis, South Dakota on January 14, 2020.