Florence "Mae" Hopke Dameron, 94, formerly of Troy, MO,  passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday, May 9, 2022  at the Elsberry Health Care Center. Florence Mae Hopke Dameron was born on February 11, 1928 to Augustus "Gus" and Vena Luella Marie Shepherd Hopke. The weather was very cold and muddy. She was born at the residence in New Hartford Missouri. Gus had to ride a horse and took a second horse to get the doctor in Bowling Green. As a child,  Mae did not like to be cooped up in the house or wear shoes. To kill the boredom inside, she started collecting postal stamps. Vena taught her many things while in the house; but if it was nice outside, she would rather be around her dad. He taught her many things around the farm. She also liked to play cards and outside games with her sister, Mary. Mae graduated from Bowling Green High School in 1946. She graduated with five other girls and two boys. High school activities included: glee club, mixed chorus, commercial club, home economics club, intramural volleyball and intramural basketball. After high school,  Mae started working at Starks Nursery in Louisiana, Missouri from May 1946 to October 1947 to get married. Mae joined Robert W. Dameron in marriage on October 30, 1947 in Hannibal Missouri. Stories revealed that they eloped. Before and after they started having children, they could be found at dance halls dancing around the Lincoln, Pike and Montgomery counties. She would tell a story of going to the dance hall in Marling, MO and they would take the older two children, Emily and young Robert;  wrap them up in blankets and they would sleep while Bob and Mae danced the night away. They were blessed with four children: Emily Marie and Charles (Buzzy) Orf of Bowling Green, Robert Edward and Donna of Silex, Roberta Mae and Raymond Schulze of Troy and Michael Wayne and Cathy of New Hartford. After marriage and started having children, they lived in/on various homes/farms around the Olney area. When they lived in Olney, several of the children in the town would come over to play. She often referred to these children as her "Olney kids". They were owners of several businesses including Dameron Elevator and Grain, a feed store, a pool hall, a trucking company and Dameron Stables. When Bob would send Mae on errands for any of the businesses she would find time to visit family and friends.  When asked if grandpa knew, she would shrug her shoulders and say "I didn't care". The kids wanted a barn to house their horses and ponies in, therefore they bought a farm south of Olney to build.  They built a house, pony/horse barn and several outbuildings to start Dameron Stables. They traveled to many states to show Hackney ponies to compete in county, state and national shows to win a few banners and ribbons. They even produced a few ponies that went on to win national titles. In 1994, they decided to sell the farm and get out of the Hackney pony business and moved to Troy,  Missouri. Mae hated living in town. She couldn't go find treasures in ditches (mostly bottles and jars) or walk the gravel road with their dog,  Butch. With the move she had most of her flowers moved with them, which kept her busy pulling weeds. She also liked watching wild birds, Cardinals being her favorite as well as Humming birds. She loved baking pies and teaching her grandchildren how to bake. To also pass the time, she started working on genealogy. When she got done with her immediate family, she would move on to another or a town or cemetery.

Not only was Mae blessed with four children, she was blessed with seven  grandchildren and nine great -grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren. Robbie Dameron of Silex, Tina and Gerry Dube' of St Peters, Barry Jo Dameron of Silex, Dena and Matt Connors of Bowling Green, Kyle Dameron and Trisha Maciejewski of Silex, Jessica and Rick Waller of Troy and Jamie and Ryan Washburn of Martinsville, IL. Her great-grandchildren, Kylee, Joseph, Dylan Dameron, Wyatt, Colton, Hayes, Lorelei Washburn, Mollie Waller, Zach Dube', Pacey Dugger and Della Dugger of Ashland. Mae loved being around her grandchildren and great-grandchildren teaching them things that she learned as a kid. Sometimes she would say silly little sayings, "I'm, so thirsty I'm about to choke", calling the grandkids "stink pot or stinker", "would you like a shot of wine or my boobs are sweating."

Proceeding Mae in death are both of her parents, Gus and Vena Hopke, sister Mary Hopke and Norman Hall, husband Bob Dameron, daughter, Roberta Dameron Schulze, niece Linda Meier and grandson Robbie Dameron.

Visitation is scheduled from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 13, 2022, at the McCoy-Blossom Funeral Homes & Crematory, 701 N. Business Hwy 61, Bowling Green, MO, 63334.

A funeral service is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May  14, 2022, at the McCoy-Blossom Funeral Homes & Crematory, Bowling Green facility. Brother Jim Craig to officiate. Interment to follow in Fairview Cemetery, Ashley, MO. Memorials may be made to the Fairview Cemetery, c/o McCoy-Blossom Funeral Homes & Crematory, Bowling Green facility. Family and friends are invited to sign our on-line guest registry at: www.mccoyblossomfh.com