Mary Neste

Mary H. Neste, age 82 of Decorah, Iowa, died Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at Aase Haugen Senior Services in Decorah.    Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, March 25, 2019 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Decorah with Rev. Chad Huebner officiating. Burial will be in Union Prairie Cemetery in rural Decorah. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. Monday, one hour before the service, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.   Mary Carol (Hoopman) Neste was born April 26, 1936 at home on their farm in rural Castalia, Iowa, the daughter of Clarence E. and Georgie Ione (Kobriger) Hoopmen.  She was baptized on October 5, 1939 and confirmed on April 2, 1950 at Zion Lutheran Church in Castalia, Iowa.  Her favorite verse during confirmation was Psalm 26:8.  She graduated from Decorah High School in May 1953.  Mary was united in marriage with Luverne Parnell Neste on June 27, 1956 at First Lutheran Church in Decorah by Pastor Rudolph Ofstedal. Mary and Luverne moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa in the fall of 1959 where she worked as a telephone operator with Northwestern Bell.  They devoted weekends working the Neste farm. In 1974 the couple moved back to a farm next to Luverne’s home farm where he and his brother, Paul, started the Neste Angus Farms. Mary helped with their family farm.  She enjoyed gardening, reading, and going shopping.  She was a member of the Red Hat Society. Mary was a very kind, giving and generous person.  She loved visiting with people and giving hugs. She had a very strong will to live.  She survived five different kinds of cancer.  Mary was also a faithful, long time member of First Lutheran Church in Decorah. After a winter of prolonged illness and a short time spent at Aase Haugen Senior Services in Decorah, Mary was released to her eternal home with Christ on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at the age of 82. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Luverne on June 13, 2012; one brother Ron Hoopman on March 1, 2012; two sisters-in-law, Jo Ann Neste Calovich and Mardella Hoopman; and three brothers-in-law, Don Oujiri, Sherman Neste and Paul Neste.  Mary is survived by her sister Nancy Oujiri of Cedar Rapids; sister-in-law Ingrid Neste of Decorah; three nephews, Mike (Kathy) Henry and Paul Hoopman of Cedar Rapids, and Jon (Anna) Peterson of Eagan, Minnesota; two nieces, Michele (Joe) Stefanick of Ft. Myers, Florida and Kathy Rudolph of Cedar Rapids; two great nieces, Stephanie Henry and Samantha Conley; two great nephews; one great great niece; four great great nephews; and several cousins. Our heartfelt thanks for the many acts of kindness, warm remembrances, and prayers during our time of loss.   Mary’s philosophy: A stranger is only a stranger until you have said hello.