McBride, Ora E.

Ora E. McBride, 91, of Oelwein, died Thursday afternoon, March 25, 2010, at Mercy Living Plus in Oelwein. Funeral service: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 31, at Grace United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Darwin Moore officiating. Interment: Woodlawn Cemetery. Visitation: 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Jamison-Schmitz Funeral Home in Oelwein and after 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the church. 

Ora is survived by four sons and daughters-in-law, Richard and Barbara McBride of Marshalltown, William “Bo” and Deb McBride of Moline, Ill., John and Pat McBride of Oelwein and Swan and Penny McBride of Oelwein; eight grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband (John Fred “Bus” McBride on Dec. 4, 1972), four sisters (Orpha Linder, Ada Thomas, Bertha Geary and Beulah Johnson) and two brothers (Albert Klebbe and Paul Klebbe).

Ora Ellen Klebbe was born Sept. 16, 1918, in Oelwein, Iowa, the daughter of August Carl and Etta Leora (Penhollow) Klebbe. She graduated from Oelwein High School in 1936. Ora married John Fred “Bus” McBride on May 23, 1940, at Elkader, Iowa. She was a homemaker and worked as a telephone operator for 29 years for the Northwestern Bell Telephone Co. in Oelwein. Ora was a longtime Oelwein resident. As a member of Grace United Methodist Church, Mrs. McBride sang in the choir and also assisted in serving communion. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America. Ora enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was an avid Oelwein Huskies and Iowa Hawkeyes sports fan. 

A memorial fund has been established in her name.

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