1923
Milford
2016
Milford E. Koch
July 11, 1923 — December 26, 2016
Memorial services for Milford E. Koch age 93 from Laguna Vista, TX (formerly of Stanton, NE) will be held at Fishers of Men Lutheran Church in Port Isabel, TX on February 7th, at 10:00am. The Pastor Duane Kirscher and Pastor Ed Weber will officiate with Buck Ashcraft Funeral Home in charge. Burial will be in the Stanton NE cemetery with the Pastor Tim Booth officiating and Shultz-Vogel-Johnson Mortuary in charge at a later date.
Milford Koch died on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2016 surrounded by his family at Valley View Memory Care in Harlingen, TX. Milford was born on July 11, 1923. The oldest of four boys born to Otto and Elma (Krumdieck) Koch in San Juan, TX. On Aug. 12, 1923 he became a child of God through Holy Baptism and confessed his faith before God and the congregation in 1938 when he received the precious gift of the Lord’s life giving body and blood at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in McAllen, TX. In 1941, he graduated from PSJA in Pharr and then from Edinburgh Jr. College. He enlisted in the army in 1944 and spent his military career in the Pacific War Zone during WWII. While he was in the service, his father died and he was honorably discharged to return home. He then worked for Crockett farms near Harlingen.
In 1945, he met Miss Gloria Schultze through the youth Walther League at Church. When she finished nurses training at the University of Colorado, they were married at Zion Lutheran Church in Alamo, TX on Dec. 5, 1948. At the request of Gloria’s parents, they agreed to move and care for the Schultze farmstead in Stanton, NE and moved there in April of 1950. Milford enjoyed being a good steward of the land. The couple was blessed with a son, Preston Sterling and a daughter, Kathleen Louise. They became active in St. John Lutheran Church in Stanton. In 1962, they helped start Faith Lutheran Church LCMS in Stanton where Milford held many church offices including President, Secretary and specifically Sunday School Superintendent for 18 years. He was also a 4-H leader, on the Stanton County Extension Board, active in the Rough Rider’s Horse Club, a representative of Stanton County on the University of Nebraska Experimental Farm Association Board at Concord, a member of the Stanton County Cattlemen Association, Stanton Rescue Unit Board, Stanton Community Club, Stanton County Historical Society and a volunteer at the Orphan Grain Train. Milford and Gloria received the La Vitsef Award and the Stanton Hometown Hero Award. The Schultze family accepted the Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award for the land being farmed for more than 100 years. Later, Milford volunteered teaching Spanish in a Country School and then Stanton Elementary for 12 years.
In recent years, Milford and Gloria spent winter months at Victoria Palms in Donna, TX. In 2003, they moved from the farm to a house in Stanton across the street from their church. When their daughter Kay, and husband Denny, decided to move to South Texas, they asked their parents if they wanted to move there, too. They were happy to move back to the area where Milford was born and raised. In 2003, they moved to Laguna Vista, TX. They joined Fishers of Men Lutheran Church in Port Isabel, and both became active with the Spanish Mission. In July 2016, Milford and Gloria moved to Valley View Senior Living Center in Harlingen, TX; he in memory care and Gloria in assisted living.
Survivors include: his wife Gloria of 68 years, their son Preston Koch/Klik and his wife Emily and son Justice of Evantson, IL, their daughter Kay and her husband Dennis Huber of Laguna Vista, TX. Granddaughter, Jamaica Erwin and her husband Chad along with twin sons Maverick and Ryker of Lincoln, NE, two brothers Ralph Koch and wife Eudoris of San Antonio, TX, Merlyn Koch and wife Elizabeth of Harlingen, TX, one sister-in-law Ruth Ann Schultze Vogel of Stanton, NE, one brother-in-law Glen Davidson of Syracuse, NE and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents: Otto Koch, his mother Elma Koch Dutschmann, step-father Paul Dutschmann, a brother Harold Koch and his wife Wilba, brother-in-law, Morris Vogel, sisters-in-law Brenda Schultze Davidson, June Schultze Hess and her husband Charles Hess, and the Dutschmann step siblings.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. We give thanks to God our Father through Jesus Christ, our Lord for Milford and the many blessings bestowed to him and to us with his long life.
The family of Milford Koch wishes to thank Dr. Peter Lazzopina, the staff of Valley View, especially Memory Care and Superior Hospice for the excellent care given Mr. Koch or “Muffly” as he enjoyed being called. You are God’s angels.
For those desiring to do so, may make memorial donations to the Lutheran Foundation of Texas, 7900 E. Hwy 290, Austin, TX 78724-2499.
Milford Koch died on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2016 surrounded by his family at Valley View Memory Care in Harlingen, TX. Milford was born on July 11, 1923. The oldest of four boys born to Otto and Elma (Krumdieck) Koch in San Juan, TX. On Aug. 12, 1923 he became a child of God through Holy Baptism and confessed his faith before God and the congregation in 1938 when he received the precious gift of the Lord’s life giving body and blood at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in McAllen, TX. In 1941, he graduated from PSJA in Pharr and then from Edinburgh Jr. College. He enlisted in the army in 1944 and spent his military career in the Pacific War Zone during WWII. While he was in the service, his father died and he was honorably discharged to return home. He then worked for Crockett farms near Harlingen.
In 1945, he met Miss Gloria Schultze through the youth Walther League at Church. When she finished nurses training at the University of Colorado, they were married at Zion Lutheran Church in Alamo, TX on Dec. 5, 1948. At the request of Gloria’s parents, they agreed to move and care for the Schultze farmstead in Stanton, NE and moved there in April of 1950. Milford enjoyed being a good steward of the land. The couple was blessed with a son, Preston Sterling and a daughter, Kathleen Louise. They became active in St. John Lutheran Church in Stanton. In 1962, they helped start Faith Lutheran Church LCMS in Stanton where Milford held many church offices including President, Secretary and specifically Sunday School Superintendent for 18 years. He was also a 4-H leader, on the Stanton County Extension Board, active in the Rough Rider’s Horse Club, a representative of Stanton County on the University of Nebraska Experimental Farm Association Board at Concord, a member of the Stanton County Cattlemen Association, Stanton Rescue Unit Board, Stanton Community Club, Stanton County Historical Society and a volunteer at the Orphan Grain Train. Milford and Gloria received the La Vitsef Award and the Stanton Hometown Hero Award. The Schultze family accepted the Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award for the land being farmed for more than 100 years. Later, Milford volunteered teaching Spanish in a Country School and then Stanton Elementary for 12 years.
In recent years, Milford and Gloria spent winter months at Victoria Palms in Donna, TX. In 2003, they moved from the farm to a house in Stanton across the street from their church. When their daughter Kay, and husband Denny, decided to move to South Texas, they asked their parents if they wanted to move there, too. They were happy to move back to the area where Milford was born and raised. In 2003, they moved to Laguna Vista, TX. They joined Fishers of Men Lutheran Church in Port Isabel, and both became active with the Spanish Mission. In July 2016, Milford and Gloria moved to Valley View Senior Living Center in Harlingen, TX; he in memory care and Gloria in assisted living.
Survivors include: his wife Gloria of 68 years, their son Preston Koch/Klik and his wife Emily and son Justice of Evantson, IL, their daughter Kay and her husband Dennis Huber of Laguna Vista, TX. Granddaughter, Jamaica Erwin and her husband Chad along with twin sons Maverick and Ryker of Lincoln, NE, two brothers Ralph Koch and wife Eudoris of San Antonio, TX, Merlyn Koch and wife Elizabeth of Harlingen, TX, one sister-in-law Ruth Ann Schultze Vogel of Stanton, NE, one brother-in-law Glen Davidson of Syracuse, NE and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents: Otto Koch, his mother Elma Koch Dutschmann, step-father Paul Dutschmann, a brother Harold Koch and his wife Wilba, brother-in-law, Morris Vogel, sisters-in-law Brenda Schultze Davidson, June Schultze Hess and her husband Charles Hess, and the Dutschmann step siblings.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. We give thanks to God our Father through Jesus Christ, our Lord for Milford and the many blessings bestowed to him and to us with his long life.
The family of Milford Koch wishes to thank Dr. Peter Lazzopina, the staff of Valley View, especially Memory Care and Superior Hospice for the excellent care given Mr. Koch or “Muffly” as he enjoyed being called. You are God’s angels.
For those desiring to do so, may make memorial donations to the Lutheran Foundation of Texas, 7900 E. Hwy 290, Austin, TX 78724-2499.
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