Helen A. Koch

  Helen A. KOCH, age 83, of Spring Valley, Minn., died suddenly Saturday morning, December 1, 2018, at the Spring Valley Living Center where she had resided for less than a day.

  Helen was born August 3, 1935, in Poynette, Columbia County, Wisc., to Clyde A. and Rosemary Alice (Brady) Gallagher.  She attended school and was a graduate of Lodi High School.  She married John R. Koch on June 16, 1956, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Lodi.  The couple lived in Dane, Wisc. until moving with their family to LaCrosse, Wisc. in 1970 and then moved to Spring Valley, MN in 1972.  Helen worked for Ken Kvam as a bookkeeper and then the Spring Valley school systems as an office secretary.  The couple enjoyed camping at Money Creek Campground and then traveled for a few years to Apache Junction, AZ to spend winters there.  Helen was known for the scrubbies and dish clothes that she crocheted, the greeting cards that she stitched and love of playing cards.  She had been a member of St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Spring Valley, the Ladies Auxiliary, and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit #68.

     Helen is survived by her three daughters, Jean (Glen) McNamara, Carol (Will) Fenstermacher and Sharon (Robert) Orman all of Spring Valley; one son, John D. (Sherree) Koch of Caledonia; honorary daughter, Barb (David) Buschmann of Grand Meadow; seven grandchildren, Nevin (Hannah) Fenstermacher, Jacob (Elissa Vega) Fenstermacher, Christian (Ali) Fenstermacher, Douglas (Jenny Barden) McNamara, Brian (Bethany) McNamara, Jennifer (Christopher) Barber and Eric Orman; 14 great-grandchildren; one sister, Betty Smith of Baraboo, Wisc., and one brother, Paul (Carol) Gallagher of New Berlin, Wisc; sister-in-law, Dorothy Gallagher.  She was preceded in death by her husband, John R. Koch; a grandson, Robert John Orman; a son-in-law, Danny Back; two sisters and five brothers.

   There will be a funeral Mass, on Thursday, December 6th at 11:00am St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Spring Valley with Rev. Marreddy Pothireddy officiating.  Following services, she will be buried in the State Veterans Cemetery in Preston, Fillmore County, Minn. with her husband.  Friends may call at the Hindt Funeral Home in Spring Valley on December 5th from 4-7pm and at the church one hour before the service.  A Rosary will be held Wednesday at 3:30pm at the funeral home.

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