• In Memory Of

divider

Leonard "Duke" Kohake

Seneca, Kansas

12/02/1925 - 11/27/2020

Leonard J. “Duke” Kohake, 94, of Seneca, Kansas passed away on Friday, November 27, 2020 at Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka.

Leonard Joseph was born December 2, 1925 on a farm in rural Seneca to Joseph and Margaret Trimble Kohake. He was baptized on December 6, 1925 at St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church. He attended rural grade school for five years before going to Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Grade School; graduating from grade school in 1939 and from Sts. Peter & Paul High School in 1943. He helped his parents on the family farm, prior to enlisting in the army on March 22, 1944.

He served with the 9th Regiment of the Second Infantry Division at Fort Lewis Washington. Duke was the Chaplain’s assistant as well as a mail clerk. He was honorably discharged on September 23, 1947. He returned to Nemaha County with the dream of farming.

On April 21, 1949 he married Grace Martha Bergman at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Baileyville. To this union were born seven children. They lived southwest of Seneca as a young couple. In 1952, they moved to the Lierz farm in the Ford Community southeast of Seneca, where they raised various crops and beef cattle. Grace passed away on April 6, 2010 after 62 plus years of marriage.

Duke was a lifelong member of Sts. Peter & Paul Parish, where he served a lector, rosary leader and communion distributor to nursing facilities for many years; the Knights of Columbus Council 1969; the St. Joseph Society from 1943-2020; and Benediction Oblates of St. Benedict’s Abby in Atchison, Kansas since 1986. He worked with the Sts. Peter & Paul Mission from 1973 for many years. He was a member of our Lady’s Rosary Makers Club from 1990 until his death, making rosaries for missions throughout the world.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife and siblings, Lucille Bednarz on February 27, 1976, Daniel Kohake on March 3, 2014 and Edith Scheurer on March 23, 2008.

He is survived by seven children, Jane (Don) Kreimer of Raleigh, North Carolina, Tom Kohake of Seneca, James (Carol) Kohake of Seneca, Patrick Kohake of Topeka, Kris (Don) Haverkamp of Fairview, Gerard Kohake of Topeka, Nebraska, and Linda Kohake of Seneca; 13 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Leonard will lie in state at Lauer Funeral Home on Sunday, November 29, 2020 for public viewing and to sign the book; the family will not be present that day.

 

 

He will lie in state on Sunday, November 29, 2020 at Lauer Funeral Home. A rosary will be prayed on Monday morning, November 30, 2020 at 9:30 AM at the Sts Peter & Paul Church prior to the Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Leonard will lie in state at Lauer Funeral Home on Sunday, November 29, 2020 for public viewing and to sign the book; the family will not be present that day.

MASK ARE REQUIRED AND SOCIAL DISTANCE

 

He will lie in state on Sunday, November 29, 2020 at Lauer Funeral Home. A rosary will be prayed on Monday morning, November 30, 2020 at 9:30 AM at the Sts Peter & Paul Church prior to the Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Leonard will lie in state at Lauer Funeral Home on Sunday, November 29, 2020 for public viewing and to sign the book; the family will not be present that day.

MASK ARE REQUIRED AND SOCIAL DISTANCE

  • Subscribe

divider

  • Share This Obituary

  • Condolences

divider

12 Comments

  1. Marjorie Gentry on November 29, 2020 at 9:31 am

    Leonard kohake Family, so sorry for your lost. DUKE was a very nice gentleman .my Prayers be with each one. of you. May you R.I you will be6 missed.,

  2. Robert & Alma Ackerman on November 29, 2020 at 11:38 am

    Prayers and Love during this time of sorrow.

  3. Mike and Maxine Becker on November 29, 2020 at 2:13 pm

    Jane and all the family! So sorry for the loss of your Dad! Hugs and prayers for you!

  4. Betty Haug on November 29, 2020 at 3:16 pm

    Condolences to all the Kohake families,

  5. Don & Marsha Hulsing on November 30, 2020 at 7:38 am

    Kris, our sympathy to you and all the family, on the loss of your dad. Thinking of you all.

  6. Mischelle Cragg on November 30, 2020 at 9:14 am

    I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts a prayers go out to your family during this time. Thinking of you all.

  7. Sr. Michael Marie) Rottinghaus on November 30, 2020 at 9:57 am

    Duke was a wonderful help for my mission work in Kenya. May he receive the wonderful reward of heaven for all the good he did on this earth.
    My prayers and condolences for the family.

  8. Barbara Deters on November 30, 2020 at 10:37 am

    Linda and family, Leonard will be missed by so many. He was a very pleasant table mate! I enjoyed getting to know him while I was there! Prayers for your comfort as we know he will be within the circle of God’s love.

  9. Sr. Pia Rottinghaus, OSB on November 30, 2020 at 5:03 pm

    Leonard made so many rosaries which were sent to many places, including to Uganda where I was stationed for awhile, so he had impacted the prayer life of hundreds if not thousands of people throughout the world. He will be missed when Sr. Michael Marie and I visit our families in Seneca. We always enjoyed visiting with him and Grace and then when he was in the nursing home. My prayers are with the family. Sr. Pia Rottinghaus, OSB

    • Bonnie Rettele Scott on December 1, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      Condolences to all the children of Duke & Grace. Such fond memories of visiting back and forth on Sunday afternoon and sharing a meal before our teen years and got soo busy.
      Eternal Rest

  10. Melissa Ronnebaum on November 30, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    Our condolences to the Kohake Family. Leonard and Grace were one of a kind people, we remember all of their kindness and grace they always showed to everyone they knew. May God bless you all. You are in our prayers.
    The Ronnebaum Family

  11. Kim Osterhaus on December 2, 2020 at 7:54 am

    Pat and all the Kohake family – You have my condolences and prayers.

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply