MILTON CLARENCE KOCH OF VULCAN, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY DECEMBER 20, 2001 AT THE PETER LOUGHEED HOSPITAL IN CALGARY, AT THE AGE OF 85 YEARS.
MILTON WAS BORN FEBRUARY 24, 1916 IN KALISPELL, MONTANA THE THIRD OF TEN CHILDREN OF LOMOND FARMER C.F. (CHRIS) KOCH AND HIS SECOND WIFE, GLADYS KELLOGG. HE ATTENDED SCHOOL IN LOMOND AND MEDICINE HAT. WHILE GROWING UP, MILTON HELPED HIS PARENTS ON THE FARM AND LATER, FARMED HIS OWN LAND AT LOMOND. IN 1941 HE MARRIED ELIZABETH JEAN (BETTY) WILLIAMSON AND TOGETHER THEY RESIDED IN LOMOND AND RAISED THEIR THREE CHILDREN. IN 1968 BETTY PASSED AWAY AND IN 1969 HE MARRIED VELMA MAY PORTER AT LETHBRIDGE AND BEGAN THEIR UNION TOGETHER LIVING IN VULCAN. SOON AFTER VELMA PASSED AWAY IN 1998 HE MOVED INTO THE PETER DAWSON LODGE WHERE HE HAS CONTINUED TO RESIDE SINCE.
MILTON LOVED HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS, HE ESPECIALLY LOVED HIS GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN AND LOOKED FORWARD TO HIS MANY VISITS FROM McKENZIE AND DAKOTA. MILTON WAS ALWAYS A VERY QUIET MAN, BUT A GOOD FRIEND TO ALL WHO KNEW HIM. HE ENJOYED SPENDING EVERY MOMENT WITH VELMA AND IN HER LATER YEARS, TOGETHER THEY WOULD MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH TOWN VELMA IN HER WHEELCHAIR AND MILTON PUSHING HER AS THEY WOULD TAKE THEIR MANY WALKS. WHEN VELMA MOVED TO EXTENDICARE, MILTON’S WALKS CONTINUED DAILY, AS HE MADE HIS WAY TO HER NEW HOME TO SPEND TIME WITH HER.
MILTON WAS AN AVID GARDENER AND LOVED HIS HOUSE PLANTS, ESPECIALLY CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS AND AFRICAN VIOLETS. IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS HE LIKED PLAYING BASEBALL AND IN HIS LATER YEARS WATCHING IT ON T.V., NEVER MISSING A WORLD SERIES. HIS FAVORITE PAST TIMES AT THE LODGE WERE DOING PUZZLES, PLAYING CRIB AND READING.
MILTON WAS A MEMBER OF ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION, VULCAN BRANCH #21.
MILTON IS SURVIVED BY A SON BRUCE (DARLENE) KOCH OF LOMOND, A DAUGHTER LEONA (DOUG) POLAND OF ST. PETERSBURG FLORIDA, TWO STEP DAUGHTERS, SANDRA VINING OF LETHBRIDGE, SHARON COOK OF WALDORF, MARYLAND, A STEP SON LARRY (LORRAINE) CHASE OF VULCAN, GRANDCHILDREN BRAD (KATE) KOCH, CANDACE (TOMAS) REESE, DOUGLAS (DEBBIE) POLAND, KEVIN VINING, CHRIS VINING, EIGHT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, FOUR SISTERS VIVIAN (OSCAR) OAKES OF CALGARY, HAZEL WILLIAMSON OF LETHBRIDGE, MARION (ALBERT) CALVERT OF EDMONTON, DORIS (DON) CARLE OF CALGARY, THREE BROTHERS HAROLD OF LETHBRIDGE, VERN (DORIS) OF CAVAN, ONTARIO, GALE (JOAN) OF CALGARY, A SISTER-IN-LAW ANNA (PETE) RUPPERT OF LOMOND, A BROTHER-IN-LAW LEONARD (JEAN) CHASE OF VULCAN, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
MILTON WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS FIRST WIFE BETTY, HIS SECOND WIFE VELMA , HIS SON ALLEN, TWO BROTHERS DON, CLIFF, A SISTER-IN-LAW ESTER KOCH, A BROTHER-IN-LAW STAN WILLIAMSON AND HIS PARENTS.
FUNERAL SERVICE WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2001 A 1 P.M. AT THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION HALL, VULCAN WITH SUE MacDONALD D.M. OFFICIATING.
HONORARY BEARERS HENRY (HANK) DOMOLEWSKI, RAYMOND (RAY) ELLIOTT AND BUD TYLER.
CASKET BEARERS BRAD KOCH, KATE KOCH, CHRIS VINING, NICKY BELANGER, BILL MOSKAL AND JOANNE BELANGER.
INTERNMENT VULCAN CEMETERY.
IF FRIENDS SO DESIRE, MEMORIAL TRIBUTES IN MILTON’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO THE PETER DAWSON LODGE MEMORIAL FUND BOX 760 VULCAN, ALBERTA TOL 2BO.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME. DIRECTORS. TELEPHONE 1-403-485-2633. E-MAIL CONDOLENCES TO vulcanfuneralhome@hotmail.com.