Stan Koehn

Stan Koehn was born to Lewis and Malinda (Unruh) Koehn on July 29, 1930, in Goessel, KS. He died Saturday, December 9, 2023, in Wichita, KS. Visitation will be from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at Downing & Lahey West Mortuary, 10515 W. Maple, Wichita. A funeral service will be at 11:00 am, Wednesday, December 20, 2023, in the sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church, Wichita, 525 N. Broadway Street. A reception and light lunch will follow. A graveside service will be held at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, December 20, 2023, First Mennonite Church Cemetery, 2250 Arapaho Road in Moundridge, KS. Stan was raised in and around Moundridge, KS. He graduated in 1950 from Moundridge High School, where he lettered in football, basketball, and track. As Stan said many times, “Because it was such a small school, everyone had to play.” He was student council president and senior class president. During high school, he worked on local farms. In the early fifties, he worked for Krehbiel Hardware. Stan met Evelyn Graber when they were both in 5th grade. They were high school sweethearts, marrying two years after their graduation in the First Mennonite Church of Christian in Moundridge on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1952. At that time, Stan was attending McPherson College. He was drafted into the US Army in 1953, trained at Ft. Riley in northern Kansas, and sent to Chinon France Depot near Tours, France. His trip from Kansas to France included an overnight stay in New York City over New Years Eve 1953: it was his first trip out of his home state. In 1954, Evelyn was able to join him in France. They traveled extensively when Stan had leave, touring in France, Germany, The Netherlands, England, and Belgium. During their time in France, they made many friends with whom they maintained contact many years afterwards. This happy time was also marred by tragedy, as their first child, Cynthia, lived only five days after her birth in February 1955. In June of 1955, Stan was honorably discharged, having obtained the rank of Corporal and having been awarded a National Defense Service Medal. He and Evelyn then returned to Kansas, where Stan used his GI Bill benefits to attend Kansas State University. In 1957, Stan graduated with a BS in Business Administration, having majored in accounting. Daughter Linda was born in Manhattan, KS while Stan was still attending KSU; son Tom was born in Oklahoma City where Stan took his first professional position with Sohio Petroleum in 1957. In 1960, the family of four moved to Wichita, where Stan took a position as an accountant with Petroleum Inc. Stan spent the rest of his professional career at Petroleum Inc., retiring in 1991 as their office manager and general accountant. Stan had many interests and hobbies throughout his life-photography, amateur radio (call sign K0FII), hunting, fishing, boating, camping, stamp collecting, bowling, square dancing, and building and flying radio control airplanes. He was happiest building or rebuilding or fixing almost anything. He built a pop-up camper trailer in the 1960’s which provided many camping adventures for the family. After retirement he rebuilt two International Harvester Farmall tractors (one of which is on display at the Moundridge Historical Association museum), rebuilt an IH Cub Cadet tractor and a barrel train to be pulled behind it (also donated to the Moundridge Historical Association), and a Honda 500 motorcycle. Stan especially enjoyed traveling and he always encouraged his family to travel. During his life with Evelyn, they traveled together to 48 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Outside of the U.S. they visited Mexico, Canada (multiple times for fishing or touring), cruised through the Panama Canal, and returned to Europe for the Passion Play at Oberammergau, Germany. They took annual summer vacations with Linda and Tom, often with extended family members as well, and many times to the Rocky Mountains. After retirement, he and Evelyn purchased an RV and traveled all over the country with their RV club. Stan and Evelyn’s travels frequently included extended family members. His parents went with them on a trip to Washington state to visit his brother Lee. The Koehn siblings made many trips together from Kansas to visit their sister Gladys and her husband Pete in Minnesota, usually stopping to gamble at one of the casinos along the way. His sister Darlene vacationed twice with the family when Linda and Tom were school-age, first to the Colorado mountains and then to the Rapid City, South Dakota environs. Evelyn’s side of the family was also included in many of their travels. It was in-laws Roland and Helen Bahre who got Stan and Evelyn interested in RV camping and who were part of the same RV club. Stan lived a life of service as well. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Wichita for over 60 years, serving as elder, deacon, trustee, church camp committee chairman, and usher. He used his amateur radio skills in service to the Red Cross earlier in his adult life. After retirement, he was a weekly volunteer at the Kansas Aviation Museum. Also after retirement, Stan served on the board of the Moundridge Historical Association, and he and Evelyn made weekly visits as volunteers at the MHA museums. Stan and Evelyn even took their turn as presidents of the RV club. Stan’s family was most important to him. He and Evelyn were a devoted couple and a wonderful example of a happy marriage to those who knew and loved them. He was always there for his two children when they needed him, both when they were children and when they were adults. And he loved and took great pleasure in spending time with his three grandchildren and with his two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lewis and Malinda Koehn; wife, Evelyn Koehn; daughter, Cynthia Koehn; son, Thomas Koehn; sister, Darlene Koehn. He is survived by his daughter, Linda (Keith) Good; grandchildren, Matthew (Nicole) Koehn, William Good, Amanda Good; great-grandchildren, Aislin Koehn, Callista Koehn; sisters, Gladys Bonucci, Mary Louise “Toots” Schlup; brothers, Willis "Bud" (Vera) Koehn, Lewis Lee (Richard Huxman) Koehn; numerous nieces, nephews, and other extended family. Stan’s family is grateful for the loving and compassionate care he received from Park West Assisted Living and from Good Shepherd Hospice. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established with Moundridge Historical Association, 402 W. Cole St, Moundridge, KS 67107 and First Presbyterian Church, 525 N. Broadway Ave., Wichita, KS 67214.