Colleen “Coke” M. Humburg, 91

Colleen “Coke” M. Humburg, 91, of Hampton, passed away Monday, May 1, 2023, at the Sheffield Care Center. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Christ Chapel at the Hampton United Methodist Church. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service in Christ Chapel at the church. Burial will take place at Hillside Cemetery in Sheffield. Counsell Woodley Funeral Home of Hampton is caring for Coke and her family.

Coke was born February 19, 1932, in Dumont, to Ollie R. and Zora B. (Shreve) Wagner. She graduated from Dumont High School, class of 1949. On March 17, 1961, Coke was united in marriage to Luverne A. Humburg at the Dumont United Methodist Church. Throughout the years, she was employed at Maytag, Koerner Whipple Drugstore, Hampton State Bank, and in the Mason City Schools as a Special Education Para-Professional. During her fifteen years with the Mason City School system, she also gave private tennis lessons at North Iowa Tennis Club in Mason City. After retirement, she was a full-time tennis instructor at NITC. She reached hundreds of young people and adults with her special God-given talent. In her later retirement years, she was a volunteer at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City. Coke loved her work there and made many new friends.

But, TENNIS was Coke’s life. She was the TOP singles and doubles player in Iowa for nearly 45 years. Coke was a USTA member and joined with teams from Ames, Des Moines and Waterloo. She played in five Nationals with USTA tennis teams – Sea Brook Island, South Carolina; Tuscan, Arizona; West Palm Beach, Florida; U.S. Open – New York; Chicago, Illinois, as well as the many Sectionals and Regionals to get to the Nationals. Playing at the U.S. Open in New York and getting Billie Jean King’s autograph were highlights. Another highlight was playing with Pat Boone when he was in Mason City.

In Coke’s later years, she gave up competing in tournaments to spend more time with her parents who were in the Dumont Wellness Center. A hip injury and replacement, cancer battles, and facial surgeries followed side-lining her from her life of tennis.

In 2014, at the age of 83, Coke found new life in the game of Pickleball. Old and new friends were made in this new sport, and her champion ways continued when she won two Gold Medals at the Iowa Senior Games in Ames.

Coke was a member of the Hampton United Methodist Church, where she was an usher, helped with communion, and was a member of the Trustee and Worship Committees.

Coke is survived by her sisters Mary Jane Conn of Hampton and Lois Wagner of Sheffield; niece Connie (Kenneth) Erpelding of Waterloo; nephew Bradley (Emily) Conn of Janesville, and their son Cooper Conn; along with beloved nieces and nephews on Luverne’s side. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband Luverne Humburg.

Memorials may be directed to the Hampton United Methodist Church or the American Cancer Society.