Mary Koetke

Mary A. Koetke, 91, of Kingsley, passed away, Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at Lawton Senior Living in Lawton, Iowa.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 9, 2019 at First Lutheran Church in Kingsley, Iowa, with Pastor Jason Letsche officiating.  Burial was at Arlington Township Online condolences may be sent to rohdefh.com.

Mary Alice Cope was born December 13, 1927 in Peru, Nebraska, the daughter of Guy W. and Alvie (Hart) Cope.

Mary grew up on a farm south of Peru attending Honey Creek country school until finishing the eighth grade after which she attended Peru High School graduating in 1945.  She began her college education at Peru State in Nebraska, and years later she acquired her degree at Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa.

She began teaching in southeastern Nebraska later moved to northern Nebraska for four years before teaching in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.  Following her teaching in Nebraska, she moved to Kingsley where she taught in the Kingsley-Pierson School system for 36 years, retiring in the spring of 1995.

On June 17, 1956 she and Merlin Koetke were married in the Coryell Chapel in rural Brock, Nebraska. That same year Mary was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.  Following their marriage Mary and Merlin made their home on a farm south of Kingsley until 1975 when they moved to the town of Kingsley.   Mary was a member of First Lutheran Church in Kingsley.

Mary’s husband, Merlin, passed away in October 1995. Following Merlin’s death, Mary continued to live in their house and remained very independent until the end.

Mary is survived by nieces and nephews.

Preceding Mary in death were her parents, Gary and Alvie Cope; her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Otto and Bertha Koetke; brothers and sisters-in-law Carl (Helen) and Roy (Judy); and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Eldon and Rowena Roepke.