Coburn, Birdie E. 1923-2009

COBURN, THOMAS, KIBBEE, WILLIAMS, MINNICH, PICKNELL

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 10/2/2010 at 20:05:17

The Grinnell Herald-Register; Feb. 19, 2009

BIRDIE E. COBURN

Birdie E. Coburn, 85, of Brooklyn died Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009, at Brooklyn Community Estates following a brief illness.

Funeral services were held Thursday, Feb. 19, at Kloster Funeral Home in Brooklyn with the Rev. John Reynolds officiating. Inurnment was to be held at a later date. A memorial fund has been established.

She was born May 22, 1923, in Blue Earth, Minn., the daughter of Edmund and Gladys Thomas Kibbee. She graduated from Brooklyn High School in 1942. She was employed as a "Rosie the Riveter" during World War II in California. Upon returning to Iowa she worked as a waitress at the Dutch Inn and at the Grinnell Glove Factory. She was united in marriage with Donald A. Coburn on Jan. 23, 1948, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, the Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn and Friends of the Library.

She is survived by her children, Donnette Williams of Greencastle, Ind., Birdeen Minnich of Garwin and Don of Brooklyn; seven grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren and 19 bonus great grandchildren and one sister, Patsy Picknell of Eldon, Mo. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Donald, a daughter Doneen, two brothers, Earl and Harold Kibbee and twin grandsons, Mark and Joel Williams.