Marie Cooper lived in extraordinary times, and through bleak circumstances. Her life was shaped by World War II, an immigration to America, the Rhode Island polio outbreak of early 1955, and the political turmoil of the 60's and 70's. Despite the heartbreak and complications of polio, which lead to her total paralysis, the love and faithfulness of her husband, Bernard, helped her endure. He endeavored to make life exciting for her in some way, and began fixing up an old bus that could meet her physical challenges. Traveling in the 1948 Reo bus with her husband and children became the thrill of her life, and her neighbors in East Providence loved to help and cheer her on.Sadly, she would outlive Bernard - and along with the pain of his death, it seemed as though she might never travel again. Yet the neighborhood children that had surrounded her had become teenagers and young adults who wanted to help her. They collected 6,000 books of S & H Green Stamps and purchased a 27-foot Winnebago. Teenagers within days of obtaining their drivers licenses were soon driving her across the country in the mobile home, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This true story defies expectation. It is a love story; it is history. Made It