Bonnie E. Cooley, 87, Brookings, died Tuesday, July 2, 2002, of natural causes at a local adult private care home.

Mrs. Cooley was born August 27, 1914, in Guthrie, Okla. to Louis and Ethel Shreck.

She was raised and educated in Guthrie, and later moved to Missouri, where she was a licensed Unity minister and pastored a church. Following this, Mrs. Cooley moved to the Bay area in California where she was employed as a medical secretary at a U.C.S.F. neuroscience laboratory in Santa Clara, Calif.

In the 1980's she met and married Howard Cooley. They moved to Brookings in 1983.

Teaching the gospel message of the Unity Church was important throughout Mrs. Cooley's adult life, and she continued to teach Unity classes and conduct weddings after moving to Brookings. She also loved to deep sea fish, hike, and dance at the Elk's Club, where she and Howard were members.

In l991, she was thrilled to discover she had half-siblings, after spending a lifetime thinking she was an only child. She had an opportunity to become acquainted with them shortly thereafter.

Mrs. Cooley was an outgoing and kind person who made friends easily and loved to help others.

She is survived by her husband; daughter, Marilyn Brand, Mo.; half-brothers, Miles Shreck, Okla., and Warren Shreck, MO.; half-sister, Betty Delaney, MO.; step-daughter, Marie Ryan, Pleasanton, Calif.; step-sons and daughters-in-law, Claude and Val Cooley, Fremont, Calif.; Clifford and Darlene Cooley, Newark, Calif.; Also surviving are nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Cremation is under the direction of Redwood Memorial Chapel.