Obituary of Raymond Koch

Raymond Eugene Koch, age 97, passed away on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at the Park Lane Nursing Home in Scott City, Kansas. He was born December 9, 1913, the second son of Jacob and Elizabeth Haefele Koch, on the family farm near Merna, Nebraska. His grandparents on his father's side had immigrated from Germany in 1854. He attended grade school in Verse Wyoming and graduated from Callaway High School in May of 1933. This was during the Great Depression and the Dirty thirties. Jobs and money were scarce. The standard wage for many jobs during this time was one dollar a day and room and board. In 1936 he moved to Eads, Colorado where he met Pauline Hollister. They were married on October 31, 1937. There he worked at his own freight business. He hauled freight from the Missouri Pacific depot for Eads residents and local businesses. He unloaded box car loads of lumber and coal from the train to the Eads lumber yard. He also made local deliveries for the lumber yard and hauled truck loads of sand for builders. In 1944 he moved his family to Scott City, Kansas, and for 22 years he was a custodian at the Scott Community High School. When the schools consolidated in 1966 he accepted the job as Superintendent of building and grounds for five schools and was in charge of the school bus transportation for District 466. He served at this job until his retirement in 1981 at the age of 68. Raymond and Pauline have four children. Robert Koch (Virginia), Kent Koch (Deb) of Waukesha, Wisconsin, Marion Koch (Betty) of Morrisville PA, and Paula Koch Copp (Chuck) of Topeka, Ks. They have sixteen grandchildren, eighteen great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren. Many residents and businesses in Scott City knew him as the "Key Man" which was his side job and hobby for many of his working years and well into his retirement. He could crack just about any lock and was frequently called out to open a car or house that someone had locked themselves out of. He was a charter member of the Community Christian Church in Scott City. Raymond will be remembered as a hard working, honest Christian man with a sense of humor. He enjoyed playing cards, fishing and hunting and was a pretty good handy man around the house. Raymond was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Lawrence, Warren and Orval and his sister Bernadine. His son Robert passed away in November of 2008. Funeral Services will be held at the Community Christian Church in Scott City, Kansas at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, 2011 with the Rev. Troy Schroeder presiding. Interment will be in the Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas. Memorial amy be given tot he Park Lane Nursing Home % Price & Sons Funeral Home. Visitation will be at Price & Sons Funeral Home in Scott City from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Monday, 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday and 10:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.