Mary Elizabeth Coffey

Mary Elizabeth (Dinsmore) Coffey was born on June 14, 1917 on a farm near Pickering, Missouri. She was the seventh of eight children born to Grover Cleveland and Susan (Leech) Dinsmore. Mary Beth attended country schools until high school when she boarded with a family, doing light housekeeping in exchange for room and board. She graduated from Hale, Missouri High School in 1935, earning not only her high school diploma, but also a teaching certificate.

She taught several years in country schools (grades 1 - 8), putting herself through college. She taught in the fall and winter terms, then attended classes at Central Missouri State Teacher’s College (now University of Central Missouri) in Warrensburg during the spring and summer.

she earned her bachelor’s degree in 1943.

She taught in the Independence, Missouri public schools for two years before marrying Arthur

Reign Coffey on June 3, 1945. They were married by her brother-in-law, Ross Canning, an Army Chaplain in Lincoln, Nebraska.Art and mary Beth made their home in Denver, Colorado. Their only child, Karen Sue Coffey was born October 11, 1946.

Mary Beth taught in the Denver Public Schools for 35 years. She was honored with a “Teacher of the Year Award” in 1968. She was an active member of Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) where she held many offices over the years. She was a member of the Gideon’s International Auxiliary. During the last 3 years of her life she was also an associate member of Church of the Good Shepherd (UCC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She loved the mountains and spent many happy times picnicking and hiking in the Rockies. She was an ardent fan of the Denver Broncos.She led a very active social life and had many friends, both young and old.

In 2010 she left her beloved Holly Hills home and moved to be near her daughter and family, first in Shenandoah, Iowa and in 2011, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

She died on September 25, 2014 at her residence in the Beehive Home of Taylor Ranch, Albuquerque, New Mexico.at the age of 97 years, 3 months, and 11 days.

She was preceded in death by her parents Grover and Susan Dinsmore, by her husband Arthur R. Coffey, and by her siblings Paul Dinsmore, John Dinsmore, Charlotte Canning, Gwendolyn Reeder, Marjorie Kelly, and Clara Sample.

She is survived by her her daughter, Karen Coffey Bash, her son-in-law Allan Bash and her grandchildren Keenan Bash and Kerrie Bash. She is also survived by her brother Lloyd Dinsmore and sister-in-law Lois Dinsmore of Tulsa, OKlahoma and by numerous nieces and nephews and friends.