Community Volunteer Award- Mary Copeland

by Brian Manning
HUERFANO — Mary Copeland has always been a person who can’t say no to a volunteer job benefitting people. Copeland will roll up her sleeves and get to work. She is active in Huerfano Hometown Heroes, volunteers in her church, has been secretary of many organizations, and is active in her homeowners’ association.
Mary and Harry Copeland hail from Claremore, Oklahoma, have been married for 51 years and have two grown daughters. While in Oklahoma, Copeland was very active in her church, teaching Sunday school and organizing Will Rogers cowboy poetry. She was also a Campfire Girl Scout adult leader for six years.
Both Copelands had professional careers in Oklahoma and decided to retired in Colorado. In 2000, they moved to Walsenburg and built their retirement house. Mary did not settle down to retirement; instead she began to volunteer in her homeowner’s association and then Mary and Harry volunteered to work the counter at the historic Fox Theater in Walsenburg to help keep costs down.
She later became involved in the Scrappy Ladies Quilt Guild which is a group of women who meet periodically and make quilts by hand to raise money for charity. The Scrappy Ladies also donate quilts to veterans groups, to a hospice program, and to Bright Beginnings, a program for children.
Copeland helps teach Bible lessons to children in the Huerfano Community Bible Church, and is part of a new program using puppets to act out Bible classes so the children can better understand lessons.
She has also been active in the Huerfano Republicans where she has served six years as secretary, has held regional secretarial posts, and has organized several events including Lincoln Day dinners.
Copeland enjoys doing volunteer work and said that she would not do this work if it weren’t fun. She has always been the go-to person who will put her heart and soul into a worthwhile project.