Vetamae “Mae” Sedalia (Hill) Koch was born July 1, 1940 in Hermiston, Oregon to Daniel Hill and Violet (Dexter) Hill. She was the second of four daughters. She passed away on May 6, 2020 after a hard-fought battle following a recurrence of cancer. She was 79 years old.
Mae grew up poor in a small Eastern Oregon town, Irrigon, Oregon near the Columbia River. After graduating from Irrigon High School, Mae worked for Maxine and Mabel as a waitress at the M&M Café, it was her favorite job and everyone said she was a darn good waitress, too. Mae married David Koch in 1961 and had three children. Mae and Dave were married for 55 years, Dave preceded her in death in 2017. Dave’s employment with Safeway took them from Hermiston to The Dalles, and ultimately to Portland where they settled and raised their children. In 1995, they bought their dream home and moved to Oregon City.
While raising her kids, Mae did in-home childcare for a few families. She collected salt and pepper shakers and had over 1,000 pairs. Mae liked things simple, as she would say, “nothing too fancy.” In her later years, Mae was an avid bingo player, loved putting together jigsaw puzzles, and really enjoyed her word search puzzle books. You also knew not to call her when The Price is Right was on television, or she probably wouldn’t pick up.
Mae is survived by her three children, daughters Denise Cecchetti (Todd) and Shawn Koch (Ann), and son David Koch Jr. (Chris); and grandsons Joshua Koch, Justin Koch, Jordan Koch and Tanner Cecchetti; sisters Vila Rae Cook and Theresa Bunten; and nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, parents, and sister Carla Leighton.
The family would like to thank Serenity Hospice for their assistance at the end of Mae’s life.
Although Mae’s passing was not due to the COVID-19 virus, the pandemic impacted her care in her final weeks. She acutely felt the isolation caused by the necessity of social distancing. In lieu of flowers, Mae’s family would encourage you to help restaurants and cafes as they open after the COVID-19 virus shutdowns by having a tea and pastry (she loved a good bakery), or meal out on the town.
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