Delpha E. Koch

Delpha E. Koch age 87 of Garvin passed away Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at the Colonial Manor in Balaton. 

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 22 at Zion Lutheran Church in Tracy. 

Visitation will be 5:00-8:00 p.m. Thursday at the Walnut Grove Funeral Home, and will continue one hour prior to the services at the church on Friday.  Interment is in Hoiland Cemetery near Garvin.  The Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Delpha Elaine Koch was born June 4, 1923 in Garvin, MN to Ed & Ella (Lien) Nelson.  She was baptized July 15, 1923 by Rev. Govig at Hoiland Lutheran Church.  On September 6, 1936, she was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church by Rev. U.L. Larsen.  Delpha graduated from Tracy High School in 1941.  She then attended L.P.N. Training at the Tracy Hospital, where she worked in nursing until the early 1970’s.  Delpha greatly enjoyed special duty nursing with critical care patients.  She loved nursing, and was very fond of the patients she helped care for.  On January 23, 1947, Delpha was united in marriage to Melvin Koch at Zion Lutheran Church in Tracy.  The couple was blessed with 63 wonderful years of marriage.  Delpha loved her friends and family, and enjoyed spending time with them, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She was passionate about her ancestry, and was proud of her Norwegian heritage.  She had a good sense of humor and liked to tell Norwegian jokes.  Delpha was a longtime member of Faith Lutheran Church, and later Zion Lutheran Church.  She was very active in the LWML and with the alter guild.  She played violin in the  orchestra in high school, and played “500” in the neighborhood card club for many years.

Delpha is survived by her sons: Allan (Janette) Koch and Bruce (Phyllis) Koch all of Garvin; grandsons: Kyle Koch of Warroad, MN, Mark (Lisa) Koch and their daughter Mariah of Plymouth, MN, Jim (Megan) Koch and their children Grace, Patience, Lily, and Hudson of Sioux Falls, SD, and Brian Koch of Garvin; and many other relatives and friends.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Melvin on October 1, 2010, and sisters: Amy Schweiso, Lorraine Nelson, and Betty Holland.