Wedgewood Hills Apartments is the product of decades of hard work and overcoming adversity. Starting with a trailer court, Loretta Cooley made her dream come true one fateful day in 1985. 

“It [opening day] was different,” Cooley said. “I had, I think, 24 used mobile homes is all I had for equity. And I flew to Elkhart, Indiana and bought 26 brand new ones…It was kind of [a] thrill for the new ones to come in and set them up and everything.” 

Over the next ten years, Wedgewood Apartments was born at 1101 East Park Street. Today, the main office is painted blue (Cooley’s favorite color) and the interior is cozy, making guests feel welcome even before they are officially at home. 

“I think our key to the success is we care about our tenants…When you move into an apartment here it’s going to be perfect. People think they’re brand new,” she said. “We put – and this was my brilliant idea and it’s a lot of work – a dozen homemade cookies and a packet for every renter that comes in, and we’re here if they have any problems.” 

Cooley sits at her desk, calendar and notes sprawled out in front of her, plants sitting on the shelf by the window. August and May are the busiest months for her, so for now her work weeks consist of an abundance of paperwork and getting acquainted with tenants. Between her upright posture and her assertive tone, Cooley radiates confidence, which is something she’s had to maintain throughout her career. 

“It’s been a fight being a woman – a single woman – with the banks and everything,” she said. “The bank I have now is very good to work with, but it’s been a struggle.”

Cooley recalled several instances of being discriminated against in her field by both men and women. In one case, she was told by another woman that she could not buy a home because she may get pregnant and not be able to afford it. The hardest challenge, she said however, was proving herself to bankers. 

“They always want to know ‘Who really owns this?’ ‘Who’s your husband?’” she said. With a laugh, she continued, “I don’t have a husband, don’t want one.” 

Despite being doubted by society, Cooley managed to come out on top. Now 86-years-old, she is still the owner of the multimillion dollar apartment complex. 

“We’re very proud and it’s our baby,” she said. “…Mobile homes were fine. There was 46 of them, but I always wanted something nicer and more permanent. And I hired the best architect and the best engineer when I got here.” 

Cooley said she “grew up very poor.” 

“I never had any money,” she said. “I worked three jobs when my kids were brought up and [started] out with a used mobile home, $100 down and [built] up a $12 million apartment complex. It’s a good feeling.”

She originally wanted to be a nurse, but ventured into real estate as “a matter of making a living.” 

“When I got into real estate, I learned about the tax laws and the depreciation so that helped a lot,” she said. “And I had a friend that had a mobile home court, so I started out just buying them and then going out there and cleaning them up, putting bedspreads and curtains in, and he said, ‘they’ll wash their cars with those bedspreads,’ but mine rented better right before his did.” 

Prior to entering the world of property management, Cooley came to Carbondale in 1960 to open a hamburger restaurant and fell in love with the city. 

“I liked Carbondale,” she said. “I’ve gone to the same church since ‘68…It [Carbondale] was much nicer then than it is now. And I came from Centralia, so I didn’t plan on going back there.” 

Since Carbondale is a college town, most of her tenants are students. She noted that many of them, however, are professors, and six tenants are retired. 

“We have great renters,” she said. “We have absolutely great renters. I would say out of the 146 apartments, 140 of them are good friends of mine.” 

Wedgewood Hills Property Manager David Farlow said he got involved with real estate “by accident.”

“My neighbor asked me if I needed some part-time help,” he said. “I was going into the PhD program at SIU and he said ‘Hey, you want some part-time work?’ and I’m like, “Sure.” And 22 years later, here I am.” 

He said he fell in love with the work he and Cooley have done. 

“We’re building and growing and it was exciting,” he said. 

He described his relationship with Cooley as “symbiotic.” 

“She does what she does and I do what I do, but it works together,” he said. “It just works really well.” 

Many testimonials on Wedgewood Hills’ website praise Cooley for being an amazing landlord. One tenant commented, “The landlord Mamma Cooley is one of the nicest people I have ever met. She does not put up with bad renters, which is why they are so well kept and quiet.”

Farlow said he believes “her attention to detail” has contributed to Cooley’s success. 

“Nothing gets left undone,” he said. “Everything is addressed immediately and properly and with care, very proactive. Especially about not just the property but about the renters. We quash down issues that come up as soon as they come up. We don’t let stuff go at all.” 

Not letting things go is a tactic he’s learned from Cooley throughout the years, he said. 

“I’m a procrastinator by nature,” he said. “She is the absolute opposite. So I have learned not to procrastinate when it comes to Wedgewood Hills.” 

Cooley’s dedication to the community has not gone unnoticed either. Farlow recalled an instance in which she allowed a young woman to live in her house.

“One young lady…was in between a move out or something, and Loretta literally let her come and live in her house for at least a week or maybe even two weeks,” he said. “And I was like, I wouldn’t have done that. I mean, I thought that was pretty outstanding. And I tell folks, she’ll come in here at 2:30 in the morning and she does, if necessary, but that’s just who she is and has always been.” 

Cooley said, “I had one boy come in the other day and he said, ‘You’re not gonna retire anytime soon, are you?’ And I said, ‘No, why?’ He said, ‘I want you to be here til I graduate’…And I have had mothers come in with their kids to rent and they used to rent a mobile home from me. The mothers did. So I give them generations.” 

Cooley said she manages Wedgewood Hills with compassion. 

“I [will] be very honest,” she said. “If you pay me your last month’s rent, and it comes to last month, I’m gonna give it back to you, because you paid it in the beginning. And by the same token, I want you to be honest with me. I have a lot of renters that pay in cash and I don’t even have to count it because they’re gonna be honest with me.” 

Cooley wants to leave young women entering a similar business with this advice: “Buyers gotta be tough, and don’t let the men intimidate you too much.” 

Staff reporter Carly Gist can be reached at [email protected]

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