In Memory Of
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Mildred B. Kohake
Kelly, Kansas
11/11/1924 - 10/28/2018
Mildred B. Kohake, 93, of Kelly, Kansas died on October 28, 2018 at Nemaha Valley Community Hospital.
She was born on November 11, 1924 in St. Benedict. She was one of thirteen children born to Henry and Ida Gelhaus-Hulsing. She attended St. Benedict School. After school, she worked as a nanny in Kansas City until she returned home to marry Anthony Kohake on April 25, 1944. They had 4 children and were married 35 years until Tony’s death on July 21, 1979.
After their wedding, Mildred and Tony lived at the Kohake Family homestead 3 1/2 miles east of Kelly. She was kept busy on the family farm and took care of her brother-in-laws until they got married. Mildred was active in the community and enjoyed helping neighbors and playing pitch. She self-taught herself how to upholster and refinish furniture then operated an upholstery business out of her house for over 40 years.
Mildred loved to garden and be outdoors. She kept a very large garden and enjoyed sharing its bounty with anyone who visited. She never wanted to waste any food and loved to scrounge for fruit trees in the neighborhood to use for baking the pies that she was well known for. In winter, she loved to pick out walnuts. She also took much pride in keeping her yard immaculate and there was never a dandelion in sight.
She enjoyed sewing, embroidering tea towels and quilted blankets for her many grandkids. She loved following her grandkids sporting activities and she traveled to Alaska 17 times to see her two daughters and her grandchildren who lived there.
She was an active member of St. Bede’s Parish and Alter Society in Kelly. Mildred and her sister, Florence, were part of a group that helped clean the church. After Tony’s death she helped maintain the Kelly cemetery, pulling weeds and placing rocks on the bank with her sister Ida. She also volunteered at the Missions in Seneca for many years.
She moved off the farm Nov 1, 2016 and spent the last two years at Crestview Nursing and Residential Living and Life Care both of Seneca.
She was proceeded in death by her husband Anthony Kohake, her parents Henry and Ida Hulsing; her brothers Emil, Celestine (Sally), Henry (Hank), and Sisters Henrietta Holthaus, Mary Stallbaumer, Florence Kohake, Elsie McGuire.
Mildred is survived by her one son Gary Kohake [wife, Sarah] of Olathe, KS; three daughters Judy Mallory [husband Howard] of Skagway, Alaska, Bobbie Carlson [husband Dennis] of Sitka, Alaska and Susie (Sue) Kramer [husband Duane] of Topeka, Kansas; her 3 brothers Benny, Victor (Buddy) and Joe, of Seneca; her 2 sisters Ida Rose Sextro-Wichman of Kelly and Marcelline (Marcy) Meyer of Axtell; 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Memorials are for St. Bede’s Catholic Church Cemetery Fund and to be sent in care of the family.
Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Tuesday, October 30th at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM, Wednesday, October 31,2018, at St. Bede’s Church in Kelly. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
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Condolences
Sue, Duane and Family,
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
The Kohake clan..your mom was one strong, giving, energized, hard working, farm wife, and ready to do woman. She may have been in her 90’s, but was Mildred to the end. May she enjoy the restfulness and beauty with your dad in heaven and all who have gone before to welcome her. Mildred let God take over now and enjoy the ride.😊
Love to all
Bonnie Rettele Scott and Rosemary Rettele
Stop and seen her many time over the last 40 years …always had a beer and her comments enjoyed her much hard to see her go …condolences to the families…RIP Millie
Condolences to the family, we really enjoyed Mildred, still have a palm decor she made for me to put in my car several years back. She gave me some awesome food as well a few years back, was great with her gardening and did so much canning and freezing for you all, what an awesome mom she was for you all. I enjoyed visiting with her while Rosida was still in the care home with her. She was a tough lady with a great mind.
I’m sorry to hear of her death. Å life well lived and leaves the world a better place for her presence.
Cecil and I really Loved Mildred a lot. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all and hope that your happy, special memories will continue to ease your pain just a small amount. Love you all!
Thoughts and Prayers to you all. Millie will be dearly missed. She always put a smile on my face when I was down and out at work. She and I always joked around and had great times together when she was at Crestview. I will miss her dearly. May she rest in peace. – Sylvia Koch
Kohake family, you have my most sincere condolences. I will always have fond memories of Mildred. When I still lived on the farm, it seemed like she was always doing something at the cemetery, at the church, or stopping in to leave us something from her garden , or just stopping to visit mom. She always seemed to have a story to tell, and always with a smile on her face.Great memories.
Sue and Family,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Sue, I know how much you loved and cared for your mom, hold the precious memories of her in your heart.
Gary and Kohake Family,
Gary we’re very grateful for all the time you’ve invested in our company. We send our condolences to you and your family as you mourn and celebrate the impact your mom has made on your lives – HyLIfe