Mary Gibson

Mary Gibson, age 97, of Aurora, passed away Friday, March 28, 2025, at Memorial Community Care.
Funeral Services will be held at 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 2 at the chapel of Higby-McQuiston Mortuary in Aurora. Rev. Mark Seiker will officiate. Interment will be at the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service.   Memorials may be made to the family to designate at a later date.   Higby-McQuiston Mortuary in Aurora is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be made to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.
Mary Alice Gibson, the daughter of Otto August and Pearl Anna (Joyce) Koberstein was born at Hastings, on May 21, 1927 and passed away at Aurora, on March 28, 2025 at the age of 97.  
Mary grew up in the Nebraska sandhills near Lewellen and in 1936 the family moved to Kansas City, MO where she attended Scaritt Elementary School and graduated from Northeast High School in Kansas City in 1945.   She later attended various art courses and seminars. 
Mary’s art career began at Trans World Airlines.   She was hired as a graphic artist.  She received on the job training by a very talented supervisor.  Being there when jets were introduced to the public made for a very exciting time.   Mary’s experience at TWA was invaluable to her.  Mary became an “Award Winning Artist.”  She was a member of the Omaha Artists and Memorial Hospital Thrift Shop Auxiliary.  
She met Harold “Hoot” Gibson at a dance in Kansas City.  There were married in Miami, OK on January 27, 1962.   With Hoot came a bonus of two daughters, Leanne and Kristen.
Hoot was in Sales Management for various companies, so it required that they moved often.   They lived in Columbus, OH, St. Louis, MO and Chicago, IL.   In 1975 they decided to put down some roots and stay put.   Liking Aurora, they relocated there.
Enjoying antiques, Mary and Hoot opened The Emporium on the square in Aurora.   Hoot was an auctioneer which fit in well with the buying and selling of antiques.   With her love of houses, selling real estate seemed like the next logical step.   They got their real estate licenses and we were on our way to another exciting adventure.  
In 1985, Hoot was offered employment in the new exciting field of Cellular.   They moved to Greensboro, NC and on to Hickory, NC.   They enjoyed North Carolina immensely, the weather was wonderful and the scenery spectacular but Nebraska was home.   They were lucky enough to be transferred back to Omaha in 1992.  After Hoot’s retirement from Aliant Telephone Company, they came back again to Aurora rebuying the home they first owned in 1975.   YOU CAN COME HOME AGAIN!  Hoot and Mary were residents of East Park Villa for many years.   They celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary in January of 2025.
She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Susan LePard, granddaughter Laura Wilkinson, niece, Kate Koberstein and brothers, James and Robert (Delores) Koberstein.
Those left to cherish her memory are her husband Hoot of Aurora; daughters, Kristen Gibson of Independence, MO and Leanne Wilkinson of Kansas City, MO; granddaughter, Amy (Rusty) Smith and family of Blue Springs, MO and Alesa (Adam) Hedges and family of Grain Valley, MO.   She is also survived by special niece Paula (Lee) Danhauer and their son Zack (Anne) Danhauer and their family, nephew, Jimmy Koberstein of Hume, MO, nieces, Ann (Harold) Hughes of Independence, MO and Mary (Vince) Petrillo of Overland Park, KS and other family members and friends.