Matthew Steven Cope, son of Brian and Jennifer (Wiggs) Cope, was born July 3, 1999, in Houston, Missouri and departed this life December 19, 2024, at the age of 25 years, 5 months, and 19 days. Matthew accepted Jesus as his Savior on September 7, 2008, when he was 9 years old, and was baptized on December 7, 2008. He was a member of the Northside Baptist Church in Houston, Missouri.
Matthew graduated from Houston High School in 2017. He went a few months later after barely turning 18 to Southeast Lineman Training Center in Trenton, Georgia. He graduated there in December 2017. Right after graduation he went to work being a lineman and has been one ever since. Matthew achieved the title of Live Line Barehand Lineman, an accomplishment of which he was very proud.
Matthew loved everything about the outdoors. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. Almost every time he was home, he was out in the woods. While he loved gun hunting, bow hunting was his passion. Matthew put in hundreds of miles chasing elk in the Colorado mountains with his dad for several years. It was their favorite trips together. He loved playing Nertz with his sister and mom. He would crank the music up very loudly and start singing for all to hear. Matthew and his sister shared a special connection. She looked up to him and that is a bond that will never be broken.
The connection between Matthew and Red can hardly be explained. He was Red’s big brother in every sense of the word. They looked out for each other and always had each other’s backs. They went on many adventures together. They shared a brotherly love that very few could comprehend. They enjoyed many days of chasing a golf ball together and it was something only the two of them shared.
The loss of a brother is a different kind of pain. One that Savannah and Red now share. They respected and loved the man that Matthew became, and Matthew would move mountains for the two of them.
Matthew deeply cared for his friends and loved his family dearly. He was an amazing young man and will truly be missed and loved by every person that knew him.
Matthew is preceded in death by his great grandparents, Robert “Great Papa” and Laura Wiggs; Lavern “Handy Dandy Papaw” and Irene Cope; Ray Jennings; and great uncles, Glendel Hicks and Greg Jennings.
He is survived by his parents, Brian and Jennifer Cope; siblings, Savannah (Gabriel) Foster of West Plains, MO and Nicholas “Red” Cope of Houston, MO; grandparents, Harold and Bobbie Wiggs of Houston, MO and Steve and Yvonne Cope of Summersville, MO; great grandma, Ella Workman of Chouteau, OK; aunts and uncles, Shane Wiggs, Mark Wiggs, Nancy (Robert) Daugherty, Brad Cope (Betty), Lori Cope, and Kristina Winn; lots of cousins, Caleb, Brittany, Shania, Zachary, Ashton, John, Stacy, Carolyn, Kierra, and Brayden; and life long friends, Kaleb Pritchett and Tyler and Carter Vandivort.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Shriners in memory of Matthew Cope.
