Edward A. Copeland, age 75, of Long Lane, MO. joined the endless trail ride in Heaven on October 31, 2014, due to complications of leukemia. Ed was born May 5, 1939, at his family home in Christian County to parents Avery F. Copeland and Lois McMurry Copeland. He was an Ava High School graduate and attended Southwest Missouri College (MSU).
He was preceded in death by his parents, infant twin sister Evelyn, and daughter and son-in-law Dee and Chris Helvey.
Ed is survived by his wife Marsha; daughter Sherry Copeland and mate Gary Nelson; daughter Patty Miller and husband Marty; son John Waitman and wife Tamra; grandchildren Lyndi Miller Tiggemann and husband Kyle, Logan Miller and fiancé Shelby Bailey, Tyler Nelson, Ashlie Nelson, Ian Waitman, Joey Waitman, and Katie Waitman; sister Shirley Smith; several nieces, nephews, and cousins; and many, many, many, many friends.
Professionally Ed owned a glass and upholstery company, was a vocational upholstery teacher for the Fordland Honor Camp, and trained and showed Missouri Fox Trotters. His passion was working with horses. He raised and trained Missouri Fox Trotters and lead trail rides at Big Creek Trail Ride, Hartshorn, MO for over a decade. Ed was known for developing young horses into the ideal trail horse through his knowledge, skills, and gentle no-nonsense “horse sense.” This “horse sense “ translated to all areas of his life and his kind, compassionate, gentle ways touched and impacted many lives.
Ed will be greatly missed not only by his immediate family but by the trail riding community and especially members of the Show-Me Missouri Back Country Horsemen where he donated countless volunteer hours keeping horse trails safe and open for riding.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 5, 2014, at Greenlawn Funeral Home North Springfield, MO. Burial will be at Danforth Cemetery. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday November 4, 2014, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, or the Back Country Horsemen of America Education Foundation.