Clalia Koch

Funeral Service for Clalia Koch, age 95, of Wheaton, Minnesota will be held Saturday, January 11, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Wheaton with Rev. Michael Breach officiating. Organist will be Theresa Thiel. Pallbearers will be Philip Brink, Allen Jorschumb, Tom Boehmlehner, Randy Murray, Gerald Siltman and Leonard Zimmel. Honorary Pallbearers will be all of Clalia's former students. Interment will be held in St. John Lutheran Cemetery, rural Wheaton. Visitation will be held Saturday morning from 10:00 a.m. until service time at the church. Clalia was born on September 29, 1918 in Wheaton, the only child of Edward and Agnes (Werner) Heidelberger. She was baptized at St. John's Lutheran Church in Dumont and confirmed there on March 20, 1932. Clalia and her parents lived on a farm northeast of Dumont along 12 Mile Creek. She attended grade school in County School District #55, two years of high school in Dumont, and graduated from Wheaton High School in 1936. She then attended one year of Normal Training to become a teacher. She later returned to County School District #55 as a teacher, many times walking a couple miles each way to her one room schoolhouse, teaching at area schools for 12 years. Throughout her life, teaching would remain a cherished memory. She loved talking about her former students and remained in touch with many through the years. Clalia also taught Sunday school at St. John's Lutheran Church in Dumont while teaching school. She married William Koch at St. John's on June 29, 1949 and set up their home on a farm south of Wheaton. Clalia stopped teaching to start her family. She and Bill (William) had two sons, Paul and Glenn, and a daughter, Gleva. Gleva died at the young age of nine of Acute Leukemia. Because of Gleva, Clalia became an active member of the American Cancer Society, helping into her 80's. Clalia will be remembered for her kind and caring ways and effusive thanks for any gift or kindness. She was a dedicated Minnesota Twins fan, planning her day around watching and cheering for the Twins on TV. She enjoyed giving her friends and neighbors rides and loved taking drives in the country to look at how crops were growing. She and Bill had many years together, celebrating their 49th wedding anniversary before Bill died in 1997. Later in life, Clalia would often drive to visit old neighbors and friends in area nursing homes. Clalia passed away January 7, 2014 in Wahpeton, North Dakota. Clalia is survived by her sons, Paul Koch of Wheaton, long time daughter-in-law Janet Koch of Wheaton, Glenn and wife Joyce Koch of Wheaton, grandchildren: Jessie Koch of Wahpeton, Amanda (Adam) Koch of Minnetonka, Minnesota, Jeanna (Tom) Weiselmann of Woodbury and Lucas Koch of Minneapolis, step-grandchildren Krisha Davis of New Windsor, Maryland, and Kerry Davis of San Francisco, California, and seven great-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren: Ciara, Seth, Jaden, Anna, Davis, Effie, and Marlena. She was preceded in death by her husband William, daughter Gleva and her parents, Edward and Agnes Heidelberger.

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Visitation

St. John Lutheran Church

• Saturday, January 11, 2014
• 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
• Email Details
• 1603 Broadway
  Wheaton, MN 56296

Directions

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Funeral Service

St. John Lutheran Church

• Saturday, January 11, 2014
• 11:00 AM
• Email Details
• 1603 Broadway
  Wheaton, MN 56296

Directions