Maria Helen Morrison

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Holredge, Nebraska - Maria Helen Cooley, 63, of Oxford died Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Holdrege Memorial Homes. Celebration of life services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Oxford United Methodist Church with the Rev. Eldon E. Fablinger officiating. Burial will be at Immanuel Cemetery north of Bertrand. Memorial book signing will be from 1-4 p.m. Sunday with the family present from 1:30-3 p.m., all at Mitchell-Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Oxford. She was born June 15, 1950, at Holdrege, Neb to Neil and Lenore (High) Morrison. She was the youngest of three daughters and was raised on a farm east of Bertrand, Neb. She was baptized as an infant at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bertrand, was a strong Christian and was a member of the youth group She received her education from Bertrand Community School, graduating from Bertrand High School with the class of 1968. Maria learned to love music, sang in school and church groups and played the trombone in the high school band. Maria then pursued higher education at Kearney State College, receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology. Her degree led her to her employment at the Grand Island (Neb) Veterans' Home. On Sept. 14, 1974, she married James R. Cooley of Limon, Colo. Survivors include her husband; sons, Chris Cooley and his wife, Jessica, of Lincoln and Rob Cooley and his wife, Elizabeth, of Kearney; granddaughters, Brooklynn, Addyson, and Taytm Cooley and BreAnna Cooley; sisters, Glee Nelson and her husband, Dale of McPherson, Kan., and Libby Hinze and her husband, Bill, of Santa Clarita, Calif.; sister-in-law, Luanne Winkelman of Limon; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. Questioning her career choice, she drove "Sabrina" her gold-colored Plymouth to Limon, Colo., to visit her cousin Sue. This is where Maria would meet her future husband, James Cooley. Just by accident, Jim canceled a job interview in Arizona and drove from Denver to Limon to visit Maria's cousin. After meeting Maria, on the second day of their introduction, Jim proposed to Maria saying, "I've never met anyone I liked more than you! Will you marry me?" She hesitated only momentarily and said, "Yes." To this union, two sons were born: Christopher and Robert. The family made their home in Arizona for a couple of years and then lived in McCook; Limon and Fort Morgan, Colo.; and then settled to Oxford in 1984. Jim and Maria owned and operated the Oxford Standard for 29 years. She was the co-editor and wrote a weekly column that was "The Adventures of Bugs and Critter" which were nicknames for her two sons. She was honored by the Nebraska Press Association for her column. Later in years, Maria worked at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege as a secretary in the Home Health Department until her health began to fail.

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Notes:

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]