Wilber Eugene Koehn
1935 - 2020
Wilber Eugene Koehn, 85, passed away on
Wednesday (August 12, 2020) at the Newton Medical Center. He had
spent the last five years of his life at the Newton Presbyterian
Manor.
He was born on May 4, 1935 in Meno,
Oklahoma and was the 13th of 14 children born to Ben and Lea Koehn.
He married Janice Dombrosky on November 13, 1955 and she preceded him
in death on April 22, 2018.
Wilber moved to Newton when he was 12
years old and lived the majority of his adult life in the Newton
area. He worked as an aircraft mechanic and retired from Boeing in
2006.
Wilber attended Grace Community Church
until he became home bound. He then attended services at the
Presbyterian Manor where he especially enjoyed Sunday night hymn
singalongs followed by one of his favorite things; eating ice cream.
Survivors include son Bob and wife Lee
of Lawrence, Ks., son Alan and wife Pam, son Brian, and daughter
Shevete all residing in Newton; and son Bill and wife Danielle of
Marysville, Washington; brother Larry of Newton; sisters Alda and
Alvera of Arizona; as well as eight grandchildren and five great
grandchildren.
Wilber was a very creative man who
loved working with his hands. He rebuilt houses, grew huge gardens,
made toy boxes, Lincoln logs and other fun things for his children
and grandchildren. His hands were never idle. He was often working on
many projects at the same time, finishing a project or thinking and
planning what the next project would be. He was an entrepreneur,
always thinking outside the box on how he could make something work
better and more efficient which resulted in creating things that
hadn't been done before.
He spent many hours with his children
playing sports, teaching, coaching and spectating. He cheered loudly
and always came to each child's sporting events of which there were
many. They kept him busy and on the road but he never complained and
always had an encouraging spirit.
He taught his children other important
life lessons as well as practical lessons like how to drive a stick
shift, how to change a tire and how to be a generally good person. He
was a quiet, generous man and a loyal father with a gentle spirit and
great sense of humor. He was often found playing tricks on the nurses
at the Presbyterian Manor and he loved when he could pull something
over on them. He was well loved and will be missed by many.
The casket will be open at the funeral
home on Friday (August 14th) between 1:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M., where
the family will receive friends between 6:00 and 7:00 P.M.
Graveside services and interment will
be at 11:00 A.M., Saturday (August 15th) at the Whitewater Cemetery,
rural Whitewater, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been
established with the Alzheimer's Foundation, contributions may be
sent to Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway, Newton, Ks.
67114.
Condolences may be left at
www.broadwaycolonialfh.com.
Arrangements are by Broadway Colonial
Funeral Home, Newton, Ks.
