Mary Elizabeth Street

Luke 1:46-47, And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit rejoiced in God my Savior."

Mom peacefully took her last breath on earth and her first breath in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on December 30, 2023. She was 91 years old.

Mary Elizabeth Cooper was born to Harry Carl Cooper and Helen Elizabeth Williams Cooper in McLeansboro, Illinois on January 11, 1932. She spent her childhood in Mattoon, Illinois with her older sister Alicia Louise Cooper Zeller, and younger brother, Jerry Eugene Cooper. She graduated from Mattoon High School in 1949.

Marybeth, as she was known to her friends, graduated from Burnham Hospital School of Nursing in Champaign, Illinois as a Registered Nurse in 1953. It was also in Champaign that she met her future husband, Lew Eugene Street. They were married on October 2, 1953. Champaign is where they would settle and raise their two children, Karen Dee and Michael Lewis.

Next to family, Marybeths passions were her near life-long membership at the First Baptist Church of Champaign at Savoy, and her stellar career in nursing. At the age of 50, she went back to school to obtain her training as an Enterostomal Therapist, which she used to assist Dr. Nalin Patel in the Gastroenterology Lab at Burnham City Hospital until her retirement.

Marybeth is survived by her daughter, Karen Street of Champaign, IL, son Michael Street (Doris Griffin Street) of Helotes, TX, granddaughter, Ashley Street Hawkins (Nicholas Hawkins) and great-grandchildren, Allison and Eli Hawkins, of San Antonio, TX.

Marybeths body was laid to rest next to her husband on January 11, 2024, in a private ceremony at Woodlawn Cemetery.