We lost some great ones in century’s first decade: Edwin Copeland

Edwin Copeland

Edwin Copeland, who served nearly 50 years as a cooperative weather observer for the National Weather Service, died Dec. 27, 2005. He was the third generation of Copelands to record the weather at their southern Columbiana County location — a legacy that stretched for more than 100 years.

In addition to reporting to the National Weather Service, each month, Copeland and his wife, Dorothy, would compile vital weather statistics and send a report to area newspapers. In his report, Copeland included comments about the weather’s impact on area crops, and Copeland became a key source of agricultural information for the media. Copeland was so devoted to his weather observations that when he sold his farm in 1979 and moved down the road, the sale included an agreement that the original weather station gauges would remain on the property and open to his recordings.

His awards were numerous: He was named the Farmer’s Club of Cleveland 1956 Farmer of the Year; Morning Journal Citizen of the Year; and received the Thomas Jefferson Award and Family Heritage Award from the National Weather Service and the Edward H. Stoll Award from the U.S Department of Commerce.