Earl Frank Koch, 93, Hoquiam resident and former owner of Wisconsin Cheese Center and veteran of the 101st Airborne in WWII, died Saturday, May 17, 2014 at his home in Hoquiam.
Earl was born on March 5, 1921 in Antigo, Wisconsin to Norman and Freida (Oldenberg) Koch. He grew up in Antigo and in December 1939 joined the Army. He was stationed in England with the 101st Air Borne and fought in the Normandy Invasion, Ardennes, Rhineland, Battle of the Bulge and at Bastogne. He was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater ribbon with Three Battle Stars, Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. He also trained Paratroopers in the art of jumping and Judo. Staff Sargent Koch was Honorably Discharged in September of 1945.
He returned to Antigo and on December 15, 1945, married Rose Lorraine Ruhl in Oshkosh, WI. She passed away on October 8, 2012.
He attended vocational college for a while when his father sold his the family dairy farm in Antigo. After five years he handed it over to his brother and moved to Anchorage, Alaska and worked as a Stevedore and crane operator in the harbor. HE returned to Milwaukee, WI in 1954. He then moved to Muskegon, Michigan where he worked as an engineer on the Milwaukee Clipper on Lake Michigan for many years. He then moved to Bremerton and worked at Bangor and then managed Strohl’s Feed Store in Elma. He returned to Oshkosh to help take care of his Mother-In-law and bought a grocery store and started You Bake Pissa in Fond du Lac, WI for 10 years. He sold the businesses in 1975 and moved to Hoquiam and opened the Wisconsin Cheese Center and the first U-Bake Pizza shop in the harbor and helped others get U Bake Pizza’s started in town. Earl retired in 1988 and moved to Elma and managed Fair View Mobil Park for 23 years.
Earl was a member of the Elma Seventh-day Adventist Church and at one time was a member of the Elma Lions. He loved his family, hunting and fishing.
Earl is survived by three daughters: Karen and husband Michael Flodstrom of Hoquiam, Marlene and husband Ernest Palmer of Klamath Falls, OR and Kathleen and Husband Dan McKay of Elma; Nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter Katherine Thomas, his wife Rose and his three brothers and a sister.
There will be a memorial service for Earl on Friday, May 30, 2014 at noon in the Elma Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
A message of condolence or of a memory can be sent to the family at www.fernhillfuneral.com
Arrangements are entrusted to Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen, WA.
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
101st Airborne Division
American Defense Service Medal
Army
Army Overseas Service Ribbon
Bronze Star
Distinguished Service Medal
European-Africian-Middle Eastern Service Ribbon
Good Conduct Medal
Purple Heart Award from the U.S. Military
University of South Dakota Coyotes
The insignias listed here may be subject to copyright and / or trademarked. Those copyrights and trademarks are owned by the respective organizations. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Earl Koch, please visit our flower store.
Earl was born on March 5, 1921 in Antigo, Wisconsin to Norman and Freida (Oldenberg) Koch. He grew up in Antigo and in December 1939 joined the Army. He was stationed in England with the 101st Air Borne and fought in the Normandy Invasion, Ardennes, Rhineland, Battle of the Bulge and at Bastogne. He was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater ribbon with Three Battle Stars, Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. He also trained Paratroopers in the art of jumping and Judo. Staff Sargent Koch was Honorably Discharged in September of 1945.
He returned to Antigo and on December 15, 1945, married Rose Lorraine Ruhl in Oshkosh, WI. She passed away on October 8, 2012.
He attended vocational college for a while when his father sold his the family dairy farm in Antigo. After five years he handed it over to his brother and moved to Anchorage, Alaska and worked as a Stevedore and crane operator in the harbor. HE returned to Milwaukee, WI in 1954. He then moved to Muskegon, Michigan where he worked as an engineer on the Milwaukee Clipper on Lake Michigan for many years. He then moved to Bremerton and worked at Bangor and then managed Strohl’s Feed Store in Elma. He returned to Oshkosh to help take care of his Mother-In-law and bought a grocery store and started You Bake Pissa in Fond du Lac, WI for 10 years. He sold the businesses in 1975 and moved to Hoquiam and opened the Wisconsin Cheese Center and the first U-Bake Pizza shop in the harbor and helped others get U Bake Pizza’s started in town. Earl retired in 1988 and moved to Elma and managed Fair View Mobil Park for 23 years.
Earl was a member of the Elma Seventh-day Adventist Church and at one time was a member of the Elma Lions. He loved his family, hunting and fishing.
Earl is survived by three daughters: Karen and husband Michael Flodstrom of Hoquiam, Marlene and husband Ernest Palmer of Klamath Falls, OR and Kathleen and Husband Dan McKay of Elma; Nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter Katherine Thomas, his wife Rose and his three brothers and a sister.
There will be a memorial service for Earl on Friday, May 30, 2014 at noon in the Elma Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
A message of condolence or of a memory can be sent to the family at www.fernhillfuneral.com
Arrangements are entrusted to Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen, WA.
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
101st Airborne Division
American Defense Service Medal
Army
Army Overseas Service Ribbon
Bronze Star
Distinguished Service Medal
European-Africian-Middle Eastern Service Ribbon
Good Conduct Medal
Purple Heart Award from the U.S. Military
University of South Dakota Coyotes
The insignias listed here may be subject to copyright and / or trademarked. Those copyrights and trademarks are owned by the respective organizations. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Earl Koch, please visit our flower store.
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