Quiet Lantern of the Pulpit – Ether Moroni Furnier

Updated on: August 11, 2025

Basic Information

When I trace Ether Moroni Furnier’s life on the page, I don’t find the blaze of spotlights — I find the warm, stubborn glow of a lantern kept in a hallway most people don’t see. Born in 1924, Ether’s biography is the kind that reads like a supporting film credit: indispensable to the story’s arc, rarely the headline. He lived much of his life in Detroit and later in East Detroit, near Kelly Road — addresses that, in their plainness, tell you everything about a life anchored in neighborhood, church, and family.

At 24 years old, in 1948, Ether became the father of Vincent Damon Furnier, who would later become the stage persona Alice Cooper. That parent-child relationship is the single thread that drags Ether’s name into the broader cultural narrative; Alice’s theatrical, sometimes transgressive rock persona — the guillotines, the makeup, the cigarette-smoking mannequins — could not be more different from the quiet, service-oriented vocation of his father. And yet the contrast is what makes both stories richer: a preacher and a showman, family photos and stage smoke, Sunday sermons and Saturday night riffs. I like to imagine that duality as two lamps in the same house — one steady and white, the other neon and mercurial — each lighting different rooms.

Ether’s faith was not accident or hobby; it was family business. His father, Thurman Sylvester Furnier, served as an apostle and then as president of The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) from 1963 to 1965. Religious leadership ran in the bloodline; Ether followed that path into evangelism and pastoral work. The denomination itself is small and particular in history and practice, and Ether’s life within it appears to have been defined by service rather than ambition: gospel meetings, community support, a life arranged around pulpit, parishioner, and pew.

Domestic life rounds out the portrait. Ether married Ella Mae (née McCart), born in 1925, who lived until 2022 — a lifespan of 97 years. Together they raised children and kept a household that, by all available accounts, prioritized faith and family. The Furnier household in East Detroit was the backstage of both Sunday services and the earliest moments of a future rock star’s childhood. Being “the preacher’s son” became one of young Vincent’s defining biographical lines, repeated in interviews and retellings: a motif as good at explaining creative rebellion as any school of psychology.

If you collect facts like little relics, here are some numbers to pin to the story: Ether’s lifespan (1924–1987) spans 63 years; his father’s church presidency is dated precisely — 1963 to 1965 — offering two full years in a leadership role; Alice Cooper’s birth date is concrete — February 4, 1948 — and that single day radiates outward, touching Ether’s life in ways both intimate and public. The Furnier family extends into a next generation that includes Calico Cooper (daughter), Dash Cooper (son), and Sonora Cooper (daughter), each of whom has pursued creative paths of their own: acting, music, modeling, art — proof that whatever inside-the-church formation the Furniers received did not limit imagination; it incubated it.

There’s also a public-perception footnote worth noting: Ether’s religious identity has occasionally been misread or simplified in popular retellings of his son’s biography. Where rumor and shorthand tend to conflate American denominations, careful records show Ether’s bona fides with the Bickertonite branch — the same lineage as Thurman’s leadership — rather than with the larger, more widely recognized LDS church. It’s a minor correction, but corrections like these matter — they re-place a life within its true neighborhood, the way a map restores the right street names to a wandering traveler.

Social media and public references to Ether are rare and usually tethered to mentions of Alice Cooper. The tenor of these mentions is factual and respectful — birthday tributes, genealogy posts, and the occasional clarification about religious affiliation. There’s no scandal, no sensational gossip; instead, conversations treat Ether like a piece of family lore: a quiet origin story for a man who grew up to be one of rock’s great showmen.

To render Ether’s life in cinematic terms — think of him as the character who appears in the opening montage, the minister lighting the church candles while a child in the next room learns to play a distorted guitar riff. He’s the stillness that makes the commotion readable. He’s the uncredited hand that steadies the camera when the star stumbles. And, as any backstage pass would tell you, those steady hands hold a story worth listening to.

Family Table

FAQ

When was Ether Moroni Furnier born and when did he die?

Ether was born in 1924 and passed away in 1987 at the age of 63.

What was Ether’s occupation?

He served as an evangelist and preacher in The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite).

Who were Ether’s closest family members?

His wife was Ella Mae (1925–2022), his father was Thurman Sylvester Furnier, and his most publicly known child is Vincent Damon Furnier (Alice Cooper).

How is Ether connected to Alice Cooper?

Ether is Alice Cooper’s father; Alice was born Vincent Damon Furnier on February 4, 1948, and grew up as “the preacher’s son.”

Did Ether hold leadership roles in his church?

Ether followed his father’s example in ministry, but available records show his father Thurman held the presidency (1963–1965) while Ether served primarily as an evangelist and preacher.

Is there any record of Ether’s net worth?

No reliable information about Ether’s personal net worth is available; he was a private figure focused on ministry rather than public business.

Are there public stories or scandals about Ether?

No — public mentions are sparse, factual, and generally tied to family background; there are no notable scandals.