Mamie Kline

Mamie (Hower) Kline was born on August 9th, 1910 in Adair County, Iowa to Peter T. and Daisy Hower, the fourth of five children. Her siblings were Nada Bennett, Eldon (Mike) Hower, Freddie Hower and Alice Dean Hoakison. Mamie entered eternal rest on Sunday, December 11, 2011 at the age of one hundred and one years and four months.
She attended school in Adair County and graduated from Zion High School in 1928 in a class of six. She played girls basketball for Zion. Following her graduation, she taught in a country school for one year.
On August 14th, 1929, she married James Ferrell Kline. They farmed in Union County until “Fay” passed away in January 1983. They had two daughters, Donna White and Sheryl McNally.
When Fay passed away, Mamie built a house in Creston where she lived until she was 90 years old at which point she made the decision to go to the Creston Nursing and Rehab in Creston. She still enjoyed going back to her home when family came to town and she sold it just prior to her 100th birthday in 2010.
Mamie always said she lived in a very unique time, having gone from the day of horse and buggy to the first automobiles, electricity and modern conveniences to men on the moon.
In her own words she had written a few pages of memories of her life about getting to school in Zion on school buses that would get stuck on mud roads to living through the depression and World War II.
In August 2010, Mamie celebrated her 100th birthday with a party and an open house. She so enjoyed seeing family, friends and neighbors and she often spoke of her party.
Mamie maintained good health and the independence of getting around on her own until the last several weeks of her life.
Surviving Mamie are her two daughters: Donna White and special friend, Al Zentner from Des Moines and Sheryl McNally and her husband, Reid McNally, Jr. of Houston, Texas. Her grandchildren are: Debbie White, from Atlanta, Georgia; Jim White and wife Mary and their two children Alex and Nick from Chicago, Illinois; Kris White from Ft. Worth, Texas; and Erin McNally from Houston, Texas. Her youngest sister, Alice Dean Hoakison also survives.