Obituary of Carolyn Elizabeth Koopman

Elizabeth Carolyn Vandermeer was born on April 23, 1932 in Long Beach, California to Thomas and Hester Vandermeer. She peacefully went to be with her Lord from her home in Hagerman, Idaho on December 9, 2016. Carolyn was the oldest of two children and grew up on her parent's dairy in Bellflower. As a child, she loved music and took lessons in piano, organ, accordion, elocution (the skill of clear and expressive speech) and the rather unique art of whistling. Her whistling teacher was the woman behind the bird calls in the early Disney movies. Carolyn performed regularly at community meetings and churches when she was a teenager. She started teaching piano lessons at the age of 15 and because she taught the chord method she wrote out much of the music by hand for her students to learn. She was one of those very rare people born with the gift of perfect pitch. When Carolyn was 18 she met Louis Koopman on a blind date. His parents owned a gas station at the time and Carolyn would choose that station to fill up her car, but was always disappointed when Louis' father came out to serve her. Nonetheless, they married one year later on July 11, 1950 and have been married for 66 years. After they were married, the Koopmans lived in several different cities in Southern California – Bellflower, Banning and Montclair – before they settled in Montclair to start Koopman Brother's Furniture. In 1970 they moved the family up to Hagerman, Idaho, where they started a dairy. This was during the beginning exodus of many Californians moving to Idaho from Southern California cities. It was in Hagerman that Carolyn and Louis spent the remainder of their lives. Carolyn has taught hundreds of piano students, some organ and accordion as well. After 60 years of teaching piano she retired at age 75. She has played for countless weddings, funerals, and many other events where music was needed. She was a faithful pianist/organist for every church she has ever attended, and has been a member of New Life Community in Wendell, Idaho since its inception. She leaves behind three daughters: Shari Baar (Larry), Rhonda Rietkerk (John), Valerie Bokma (Willie), a daughter-in-law Becky Koopman and a brother, Roger Vandermeer. Her son, Steve preceded her in death in 1992. She has 16 grandchildren and 42 great-grandchildren. The most memorable and unusual trait of Carolyn was her ability to whistle many different bird calls, combining her signature song His Eye is on the Sparrow as she accompanied herself on the piano. Many people remember her whistling that song throughout many decades in California, Michigan, Kansas and Idaho. During her last years, she could always be found by listening for her beautiful whistling as she walked down the lane or around the house, in the car and even in doctor's waiting rooms. People would always stop to listen and remark how pure and lovely her tone was as she whistled hymns, show tunes, and any other song that would appear in her mind. Carolyn was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to all of us. She taught by example what it means to live a life of love to her faithful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She will be missed by many for her kind, patient, and generous spirit. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice Visions, Inc. 1770 Park View Drive, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301: Phone 208.735.0121 Visitation services will be held at the New Life Community Church on Thursday, December 15 from 6-8. Graveside services will be held Friday, December 16 at The Hagerman Cemetery, 10:00 a.m. with the memorial service following at New Life Community Church, 800 West Main, Wendell, Idaho at 11:00 a.m. Family and friends are encouraged to share their memories at www.rosenaufuneralhome.com