MAE NORA KOOP

Mae was born to the late Leon and Elsie Foster on July 18, 1940, in Dows, Iowa. She was active in the Dows United Methodist Church, and graduated from Dows High School in 1958. While celebrating her acceptance to nursing school, she met the love of her life, John Iver Koop, at the Iowa Falls skating rink. John always said he knew she was “the one” after the first loop around the rink.

Mae graduated as an RN from Iowa Methodist School of Nursing in 1961. She and John married on August 12, 1961, in Dows, and moved to a farm south of Kamrar, Iowa. The same year, Mae became a nurse at the Hamilton County Hospital in Webster City, Iowa, where she worked for more than 40 years as a nurse, medical records supervisor, and quality assurance coordinator. In 1997, she completed her bachelor’s degree in health care administration from St. Joseph’s College in Maine.

John and Mae were blessed with two daughters, Julie and Jana. After their daughters graduated from high school, John and Mae became foster parents and opened their home to ten teens: Tim, David, Travis, Richard, Craig, Jeremy, Duane, Toni, Becca, and Jeannie.

Mae was a member of the Community Church of Kamrar. She and John were youth sponsors for many years, and cherished the memories of taking the youth group to camp in Colorado each summer. She taught Sunday School and VBS. She was known for creating themed programs for various church groups and related ministries. She was a 4-H leader and also enjoyed sewing, reading, and coloring.

Mae is survived by her daughters Julie (Ron) Horner of Springfield, Missouri, and Jana Koop of Irving, Texas; her grandchildren Rachel and John Horner; her sister Sandra Toomsen of Waterloo, Iowa; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family. She is preceded in death by her loving husband, John Iver, who her girls are sure was waiting for her at Heaven’s gate, as well as her parents, an infant brother James, and a grandson, Nehemiah Horner.