Roy Koechel

The funeral service for Roy Koechel, of Hewitt, will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, January 8, at the United Methodist Church in Wrightstown with Pastors Jean-Claude Duncan and Mark Bateson presiding. Visitation will be held on Thursday at the Domian-Anderson Chapel in Bertha from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and at the church on Friday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. Roy peacefully passed away January 5, 2016, from kidney failure and complications at the age of 89, at Tri-County Hospital in Wadena, MN. Roy was born on August 28,1926, in Solway, MN, to Ben and Mary (Rausch) Koechel. When he was about ten years old, he and his family moved to a farm west of Bertha. He lived there until he bought his current farm where he lived for the next 65 years. Roy attended country school through the eighth grade; he later received an honorary high school diploma through Operation Recognition for service to his country. At the age of 18, he entered the Army and served for the next two years. After his honorable discharge, he worked as a dairy farmer until the early 1990s when he sold his herd. He then continued to crop farm until he was in his early-eighties. On July 17,1954, Roy married Betty Goodale at the Wrightstown Evangelical United Brethren Church. They were married for 50 years and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary just two months before she passed away from cancer. They had two children: Joanie and David. Roy was a member of the Otter Tail County Dairy Herd Improvement Association and consistently raised some of the top-producing cows in Otter Tail County. In his limited spare time he enjoyed league bowling, attending horse sales and horse shows, as well as raising his own horses, watching baseball, and listening to polka music. Roy was a very good welder and made many of his own farm equipment repairs. In addition, he was an avid reader of the local newspapers, farm magazines, and western novels. After selling the cows, Roy and Betty enjoyed spending time with their friends and traveling to Texas and other parts of the U. S. Roy served as a trustee of the Wrightstown United Methodist Church and was a former adult leader for the Woodside Workers 4-H club. Above all, he enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his three grandchildren. He loved teasing them and giving them rides on tractors, the four-wheeler, the riding lawn mower, or any other piece of farm equipment they wanted to ride on. Roy was preceded in death by his parents, Ben and Mary; wife Betty, and sister Erna and brother-in-law "Ray" Gibson. He is survived by his children Joanie (David) Zirbes of Parkers Prairie, and David (Kristi) Koechel of Garland, TX; niece Rebecca Gibson and nephew Bill (MaryAnn) Gibson, CO. He is also survived by grandchildren Kyle (Jenn Yelle) Zirbes of Roseville; Christina Zirbes of Wadena; and Bethany Koechel of Garland, TX; and several cousins. Honorary pallbearers will be Bethany Koechel, Christina Zirbes, Harry Wood, Kieth Schwantz, Ted Bertram, and Arvid Fischer. Active pallbearers will be Kyle Zirbes, Art Packard, Mike Schwantz, Morris Dahl, John Schwantz, and David Bertram. Military honors will be provided by the Minnesota National Guard Honor Guard. Burial will be in Woodside Cemetery, Wrightstown, MN.

Roy Koechel

August 28, 1926 - January 5, 2016