This person was created through the import of Wicke.GED on 30 March 2011. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.
Home / Muscatine, Iowa News: The Muscatine Journal / Local / Obituaries
Kathryn Erla Elsie Bruer Kopf
Story Discussion Kathryn Erla Elsie Bruer Kopf
Posted: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 4:14 pm | (0) Comments
WYNDMOOR, Pa. - Kathryn Erla Elsie Bruer Kopf, 85, of Springfield Residence in Wyndmoor, died June 3, 2010, of natural causes.
Services were held June 10, at St Michael's Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, Pa. Burial was at Greenwood Cemetery, Muscatine, June 21.
Memorials may be directed to: ELCA World Hunger, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago IL 60694-1764
Mrs. Kopf was born June 24, 1924, in London, Ontario, Canada, the daughter of the Rev. Martin Bruer and Olga Beger Bruer.
She grew up in Port Huron, Ontario and Long Beach, Calif. She attended Long Beach City College for one year and then graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of California.
She served as a food inspector with the Department of Agriculture for one year in California, and then worked for Union Electric in St. Louis, Mo., teaching cooking classes where she met her future husband.
She married Warren John Kopf May 28, 1948. He died in 1960 and she moved to Iowa City, Iowa where she earned her Master's in family development and PhD in educational psychology from the University of Iowa, as well as to be closer to her husband's family.
She was a professor at the University of Iowa for several years before returning to Canada to join the faculty at University of Guelph, where she was a department chair. Later, she returned to the United States to serve as executive director of Lutheran Church Women of America, based in Philadelphia, and remained in Philadelphia after her retirement.
She was a past member of Omicron Nu, Phi Upsilon, Pi Lamba Theta, and the Wodehouse Society. She was also a naturalized U.S. citizen, receiving her citizenship Oct. 7, 1963.
She was a life-long Lutheran and a persistent champion of education and equal rights. She contributed freely to scholarships and charitable organizations. While helping others, she was also aware of those who helped her throughout her life. In particular she and her children were very appreciative of her husband's parents, Walter and Grace Kopf, siblings Henry (Rachel) Kopf, Paul (Joanne) Kopf and Miriam (Bob) Bosch; and her mother, Olga Bruer, who helped her after her husband's death.
Her good friend, Lois Leffler continued her support during her last years of life.
Survivors include her children, Sandra Gleaves and husband, Kevin, Andrew Kopf and wife, Karen, Leslie Kopf-Johnson and husband, Anthony and Thomas Kopf and wife, Jennie; grandchildren, Brian (Emily), Trevor, Erika, Kristen, Austin and Morgan; a brother, Paul Bruer and wife, Shirley; and sister-in-law, Marlene Bruer.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Peter Bruer; a sister, Margery Vadvilavich and grandson, Eric Kopf.
Copyright 2010 The Muscatine Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Is Kathryn Erla Elsie your relative? Please don't go away! Login to collaborate or comment, or contact
the profile manager, or ask our community of genealogists a question.