Lavene E. "Beanie" Koch

Lavene E. "Beanie" Koch, 72, of Loveland, Colorado, formerly of Seneca, Kansas, died Sunday, July 28, 2002, at a Loveland care home. She moved to Loveland in February 2000 to be near her daughter.
     She was born October 30, 1929, at St. Benedict, Kansas, the daughter of Herman and Emma Vondemkamp Dick. She grew up on the family farm and was the third oldest of twelve children. She graduated from St. Mary's High School at St. Benedict in 1948. She attended Marymount College in Salina, Kansas, and St. Anthony's Hospital School of Nursing where she received her nursing diploma in 1951. After taking the Kansas State Board, she became a registered nurse.
     On December 27, 1951, she married Cyril J. Koch at St. Mary's Church, St. Benedict. They lived in various locations in Kansas in their early-married years due to Cyril's construction work. In 1964 they moved to Seneca. "Beanie" began working at the Seneca Hospital in March of 1964. She continued work at the new hospital, the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca, until her retirement in May 1995 after 31 years of employment as a registered nurse and several years as the day supervisor. Her husband, Cyril, preceded her in death on May 18, 1995. She was also preceded in death by a son, Johnny Koch, who died at birth on December 26, 1952.
     She was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church and the St. Ann's Altar Society at the church, the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital Guild, where she was a past president as well as holding other offices, the Seneca Memorial Post #7458 of the Veteran's of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, and the Kidney Foundation. She was an accomplished seamstress and quilter. "Beanie" made many quilts for her family including a quilt for each grandchild. She also crocheted, embroidered, and enjoyed ceramics. "Beanie" and Cyril always had a large garden and grew a large crop of strawberries. She and her sisters traveled throughout the U.S. together.
     Survivors are three sons, Roger Koch of Lawrence, KS, Jeff Koch of Colorado Springs, CO and Steve Koch of Topeka, KS; a daughter, Cyrilla Haverkamp of Loveland, CO; a brother, Joe Dick of Monck's Corner, SC; and five sisters, Valeria Edwards of Goodland, KS, Norene Haynes of Wichita, KS, Lucille Winkler of Oneida, KS, Alice Rumsey of Topeka, KS, and Linda Baughman of Hendersonville, NC; and ten grandchildren.
     Besides her husband and son, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Omar Dick and Orville Dick and three sisters, Joan Dick, Norma Tsuglis, and Edna Krogman.
     The mass of Christian burial will be 10 A.M. Thursday, August 1, 2002, at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. The burial will be in St. Mary's Church Cemetery at St. Benedict. The rosary will be prayed at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca on Wednesday at 2 and 7 P.M.  She will lie in state at the funeral home after 4 P.M. Tuesday.
     Memorials may be given to the Polycystic Kidney Foundation or the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital Guild and sent in care of the family.
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