TOLEDO-Michael James Shope, age 38, of Toledo, died on Tuesday, April 4, 2006, in his home in rural Toledo due to a sudden illness. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, April 8, 2006, at 10:30 AM at the South Tama High School Gymnasium in Tama with Pastor Jerry Avise-Rouse officiating. Interment will follow at Sheridan Cemetery in rural Malcom. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 7, 2006 from 1-8 PM at the Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama. The family will be present from 4-8 PM
Michael James Shope was born on February 27, 1968, in Knoxville, Iowa, the son of James and Dee Johnson Shope. He graduated from South Tama High School and received his Associates Degree from NEICC in Calmar in 1987. On September 12, 1992, he was united in marriage to Stacey Mason at the Living Faith United Methodist Church in Tama. Mike worked in maintenance for the South Tama School District and was also a bus driver. He also farmed. He was a member of the Living Faith United Methodist Church and formerly served on the Board of Trustees at the church. He was on the Board of Directors for the South Tama Youth wrestling and was a member of the Central Iowa Coon Hunters. Mike enjoyed hunting, gardening and tinkering with his Allis Chalmers tractors, but his greatest enjoyment was spending time with his family and children.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents.
Survivors include his wife Stacey Shope of Toledo; three children, Joe, Luke and Haley at home; his parents, Jim and Dee Shope of Toledo; three sisters, Manda (Tony) McKinley of Walker, Lana Ross (Bill Brand) of Marshalltown, and Carla (Matt) Sullivan of Noblesville, Indiana; a foreign exchange student sister, Dora Medina; two nephews, Cliff and Cody McKinley; and four nieces, Maggie McKinley, Natalie and Meredith Ross, and Madelyn Sullivan.
In lieu of flowers, a trust fund will be established for his children.