Beatrice Koehler

Age 93. Passed away June 4, 2012.Beatrice was born on a farm in Morgan, Minnesota on June 15, 1918. She was the sixth child of Josephine and John Pietig. The family grew to include 15 children all together, 11 boys and 4 girls. Bea attended a one room school house until 8th grade. She moved to Minneapolis when she was 18 and lived with her sister Evelyn. She loved growing up on a farm but she was a city girl at heart. Bea was the second daughter so she did a lot of cooking and cleaning growing up. In fact she made a career of cooking. First in a nursing home, when she moved to the city, and then as a cook for the Spring Lake Park School District. She married Leonard Koehler in June of 1944. They both worked at an airplane factory in Seattle, Washington during World War II. They had two children, Jerry and Jo. In 1947 they decided to move back to Minnesota. They drove back with all of their possesions, a 2 and a half year old and a crying baby. They settled in south Minneapolis. They then had Rich, Dan, Becky and Debbie. They moved to Spring Lake Park in 1955. Russ was born and there was one more child, Michael, but he was stillborn. Leonard passed away in 1976. She still had 3 children at home. She always did what needed to be done without complaining. Mom and Dad have 21 grandchildren. 11 great grandchildren and 1 great, great grandchild. The oldest grandchild, Michael, has passed away. They range in age from their 40's to 16. The great grandchildren range in age from their 20's to 10 months. The great, great grandchild is 2. Grandma Bea was a vitial part of their lives. One of the youngest ones always would ask about going to see Grandma Bea. A lot of her siblings also moved to the city. They would get together on a regular basis and play cards. She loved to play cards. With anyone and everyone. If you went to mom's, you played cards. If she came to your house, you played cards.In fact she was playing Solitare the night she died. She also loved to read. Even after she developed macular degeneration, she continued. She read almost all of the large print books at the Anoka Library. When she couldn't read anymore, she planned on listening to books. She also loved to garden. She loved to sit in the kitchen, while playing cards, so she could see her flowers. Her greatest love was her family, her parents and siblings and her husband and children. She showed her love by cooking for us. Baking cookies, making pies and cooking dinner for my brothers on Wednesday nights. Memorial Day, just last week, she made homemade buns as her contribution to dinner at Jo's. She also baked molasses cookies for Jo's sons. She did all of this before she came over at 2:00.
She retired in 1993 at the age of 75. Even then she wasn't sure if she was ready to sit at home, so she started her next career as a volunteer. She helped out at the Anoka County Food shelf, brought food to help with funerals and worked the cake walk at the annual carnival at St Tim's. There are two siblings left. Her sister Alice Green and her brother Dale Pietig. I'm sure she is in heaven right now visiting with all of her loved one. If there is card playing in heaven, I know that they are doing that also.
Preceded in death by her husband Leonard. Survived by children Gerald, Jo (Bob) Imholte, Rich (Diania), Dan, Rebecca (Ed) Hagenbuch, Debra (Jay) Thorson & Russell (Deb); 21 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren & 1 great great grandchild; sister Alice Green; brother Dale (Janice) Pietig.