Warren Leroy Koehn

On September 13, 2015, Warren Leroy Koehn was on the road again, but this time it was to his heavenly home. Leroy passed away at the Meade District Hospital, Meade, Kansas.

Dad’s birthday was always celebrated on November 15, but when his birth certificate was attained, it said he was born on November 9, 1935. His mother stood fast on the 15^th because as she stated “I was there!” Leroy was born to Raymond and Alice (Jantz) Koehn in Richards, Colorado. From little on he was very ambitious and had an adventuresome spirit. He served two years in the VA hospital in Roseburg, Oregon as a conscientious objector during the Korean War. He came home after one year and married the love of his life, Lila Koehn, then they went back to Oregon and he finished serving. To their union were born daughters, Arnella and Daylene. Later they were blessed with twin daughters through adoption, Mandy and Melissa.

Dad was a very hard worker. During his life he worked as a farm hand, land leveler, farm owner, and a truck driver. He leveled a lot of land with a W9 International with Ezra Unruh, Raymond Ardery, Kenneth Nightengale, and Jesse Loucks. He would pull all-nighters driving tractor or “figuring maps,” also while farming and driving truck. When farming got tough, he leased out his land and hit the road, obtaining a fleet of trucks. Over the years he hauled grain, swinging beef, refrigerated products, rock, anhydrous, manure, and anything that would o on a flatbed of in a tanker. In his earlier truck driving days, he would take his family along. We have many memories of going down the road listening to “trucker” songs on the 8-track. It was also a way for us girls to see the country as we got older and had vacation time at our places of work.

Dad loved to deer hunt, fish, and camp with family and friends in Colorado. We spent many hours driving on mountain roads. After buying a farm at Copeland, Kansas, and building a house with a fireplace, bringing home a trailer full of wood was the main objectives for going to Colorado. In the folks’ later years, they purchased a fifth-wheel and traveled to Montana or wherever they wanted to go. We had on last family vacation with Dad in August when they made a trip to Colorado to visit his twin daughters.

Leroy loved his farm and had a hard time accepting he couldn’t do things like he used to due to Parkinsons. He never gave up hope on getting better. After having deep brain stimulation in Montana to cure his tremors, he had a new lease on life for another five years. He moved to Lone Tree Retirement Center in Meade a year ago but made many trips out to the farm to tinker around, look at the crops, and ride the combine with Danny.

In his later years, Dad was concerned about his relationship with God and had many conversations with Pastor Curt in Montana and Pastor Ken in Meade. He chose his place of worship at Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Meade. He loved Pastor Ken’s music and his Mennonite friends and relatives who came to sing for him in the hospital.

He is survived by his wife, Lila of Meade, Kansas; four daughters, Arnella Carmichael of Meade, Daylene Conolly of Lewistown, Montana, Melissa Koehn and Mandy Koehn both of Broomfield, Colorado; two brothers, Lawrence Koehn and Earl Koehn both of Montezuma, Kansas; three sisters, Fern Jantz of Montezuma, Kansas, Delores Unruh of Halstead, Kansas, and Valetha Koehn of Burns, Kansas; three grandchildren, Devin Werner, Eddie Carmichael, and Toby Carmichael; and a great-grandchild, Braylee Werner.

He is preceded in death by his parents; two son-in-laws, Chris Carmichael and Vern Conolly; and a brother, Paul Koehn.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 16, 2015, at the Emmanuel Mennonite Church, Meade. Friends may call from 12:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at Fidler-Orme-Bachman Mortuary, Meade. Interment will follow in the Graceland Cemetery, Meade.

The family would welcome memorials to the Emmanuel Mennonite Church Building Fund or the Lone Tree Retirement Center in care of the funeral home.