Marriage: 17 Nov 1875 Spring Lake,​ Ottawa,​ Michigan

spouse: Minnie C. Esterly

1880 Census:

Census states that both Fitch and Minnie are born in New York, along with Fitch's parents. Fitch's Death certificate however States he is born in Indiana.

Name: Fitch Cooper

Residence: Crockery, Ottawa, Michigan

Martial Status: Married

Age (Expanded): 27 years

Occupation: Farmer

Fitch Cooper M 27

Spouse Minnie Cooper F 22

Child Frank Cooper M 3

Child Mary Cooper F 11M

Minnie dies in 1883. By 1888, Fitch is married to his second wife, Emmaline (Emma).

Fitch and Emma would have the following children, Minnie born about 1889, Herbert, Earl, and Velma born 1888.

Grand Haven Tribune:

Fitch Cooper and his wife and family lived for a number of years on a good farm about two miles outside of Nunica. Fitch Cooper was an industrious man and a good farmer. He is very well known about Nunica where he has lived many years and he was about 50 years old. There seems to be nothing serious against his previous actions or his general character. The victim of today's crime was his second wife. For some time quarrels between them have been frequent and it was understood by neighbors that they did not agree at all. They were not a congenial pair. One of the causes is alleged to have been religious differences between them. Mrs Cooper was a free Methodist. Cooper was inclined toward spiritualism. The wife would like family prayers and it is said Cooper did not always agree with her. At one time she has filed for divorce with Ottawa Circuit court, but it was discontinued and the case dropped.

If the wife and he quarreled it was usually their quarrel and they troubled few others with it. Folks also would take sides on who was most to blame.

This morning Mrs Cooper sent the children off to school as usual all except one boy, Earl who went out to work in the pickle patch a short distance away. Sometime before he went back to the house for something and met his father. Cooper called the boy to him and kissed him affectionately. "Goodbye, Earl" he said tenderly. "Be a good boy". At the same time Earl thought his father mentioned something about somebody trying to beat him out of everything he owned. The boy did not dream what was about to happen, but believed perhaps his father was going into town.

The little boy had barely reached the pickle patch again when he heard shots and frightened ran back to the house. He found his mother dead in the kitchen from a gun shot wound (She had been sitting preparing potatoes for a meal) and his father dead in the 2nd older home on the property, having shot himself.

Message received August of 2015 from Ellen, grand-daughter of Minnie Mae Cooper:

Fitch Cooper was born in Ind. (says it on death certificate) First spouse Minnie Easterly Cooper, after she died he remarried my great grandmother Emmeline Eulaia Virjean Carpenter (maiden name) also born in Ind. Hoard (married for short period long enough to get pregnant for Bessie Cooper Davenport (buried in Ravenna). Then Fitch and Emmeline were married in 1888. together they had 4 children Minnie Mae Cooper (my grandmother (1889-1990), Herbert Cooper (1893-1975), Earl Cooper (1895-1977) and Velma Cooper (1898-1992). My grand mother raised her sister the boys were put in a foster care that might have burned down? Not necessary but facts about the family. Besides religion they argued a lot about my grandmother going to college (she graduated Mag um Cum Laud from Muskegon High School) can you imagine the ride each day horse or horse and buggy. There is a book written by Kevin Collier Ottawa County Murders that has a lot of information in it.