Barbara Koopman, 82

Blair native Barbara Kooopman, 82, died Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004, at her home in Spruce Pine, N.C.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Hamel-Peck-Pelan Funeral Home in Tekamah. Interment will be in the Tekamah Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, with the family receiving friends from 5 to 8 p.m.

Barbara (Morehouse) Koopman was born Nov. 13, 1921, in Blair to Raymond and Carrie (Matthews) Morehouse. She graduated with Tekamah High School in 1939, where she was a member of the National Honor Society, vice president of the Girl Reserves, was an accomplished pianist and champion swimmer.

She graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., with an A.A.S. degree in English. She went on to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where she studied journalism. While attending UNL, she became a member of the alpha Phi Sorority. She was later employed as the secretary to the editor of the Lincoln Journal Star.

On April 12, 1943, she married William James Koopman II in Lafayette, Ind. Mrs. Koopman was a homemaker, a member of the Tri Kappa Sorority and the Presbyterian Church.

She is survived by her husband, William Koopman II of Spruce Pine; three sons, Steve Koopman of Spruce Pine, Dr. William James Koopman III of Birmingham, Ala., and John Koopman of country Karlow, Ireland; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a sister, Margaret Morehouse, and a brother, Gordon Morehouse.

Omaha World Herald 23 Feb 2004

KOOPMAN – Barbara (Morehouse), age 82, died 2/21/2004, Spruce Pine, N.C, Native of Washington County, NE. Survived by husband, William James, Jr., Spruce Pine, NC; 3 sons, Steve, Spruce Pine, NC, William James, III, MD, Birmingham, AL, John, County Karlow, Ireland; 6 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren.

FUNERAL SERVICE Wed 10 am at Hamel-Peck-Pelan Funeral Home in Tekamah, NE. Burial Tekamah Cemetery. VISITATION Tues 1-8 pm at the Funeral Home. HAMEL-PECK-PELAN Tekamah, NE 402-374-1551

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~