Joyce B. Koehn

Our dear mother and grandmother, Joyce Berdine Schneider Koehn, was born on March 25, 1939, to Howard and Ruth (Haynes) Schneider near Ithaca, Michigan. She quietly slipped away on July 8, 2025 at the Maple View Retirement Community near Ithaca, Michigan.

Mom grew up on a farm in rural Gratiot County, with one brother and one sister. She grew up in the depression years, and her memories of early days were about hard work. She attended the Kellogg School, just a quarter mile from where she grew up. In her teenage years, she had an accident of being run over by a tractor, which resulted in much lifelong back pain. Mom accepted Christ as her Savior and Friend and was baptized into the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite when she was 12 years old. At the age of 26, she had a reconsecration experience, and she never wavered from that commitment.

Mom worked at Ithaca Roller Mills, Redman Trailer Company in Alma and then later at Michigan Chemical Company and Pizza Sam’s. A highlight in her life was a trip to the Holy Lands and Switzerland in the summer of 1961 with her Grandpa Schneider and Betty Seiler. On a trip out west in 1964, she met our father, Pete Koehn, from Montezuma, KS. They were married in an evening wedding on Easter Sunday, April 10, 1966. They spent two years on the farm in Western Kansas before moving to Greeley, Colorado in 1968. While in Greeley, she was employed in the computer department of a bank, and Mom often talked about how at that time, a computer filled an entire room. She and Dad loved the mountains and sunshine, but because of a concern for the welfare of raising two boys in a city setting, they moved to Ithaca, Michigan in 1976. They bought a farm on Pierce Road, which became the home place.

One of the deepest heartaches of Mom’s life was the sudden passing of her son, Andy, in July of 2013. Although her life was filled with heartache and pain, God gave her a special grace to quietly endure.

Some of the moments that brought Mom and Dad special joy were the 4th of July chicken BBQs – an annual tradition for 39 years – and Saturday night pizza shared with the family. Her grandchildren were so very special to her and she showed her love for them by making each of them a quilt. It was very important to her that she finished the last one for the youngest grandchild. She made many quilts in her later years and gave many of them away. She loved her roses and flowers, and working in her garden brought her joy and satisfaction. She helped Dad on the farm for many years until they retired in 2017 for health reasons. Mom was such a hard worker her whole life, and she stayed active and busy as long as her health allowed.

Mom and Dad moved off the farm in November of 2021 and joined the Maple View Retirement Community. She appreciated the care she received and she enjoyed the connections she made with her caregivers. A couple months before Mom’s passing, she caught a vision of Dad standing on the other side of the river, waving at her and saying “Come on, Joyce, come on!” From that time on, Mom’s focus on earthly life changed and she longed to join him. In the last hours before her passing, she talked to most of her grandchildren and encouraged them to live for the Lord and meet her in Heaven. We will miss her quick wit and humor and all the ways she helped us.

Left behind are her children: daughter-in-law, Jackie Koehn, Garden View, Kansas; son, Greg and Laura, Carson City, Michigan; daughter, Audrey and Jeff Litwiller, Ithaca, Michigan; daughter, Nada and Mike Schrock, Moore, Idaho; 15 grandchildren: Cheyenne (Morgan Bronson), Dillon (Renae), Tori, Madison (Nathan Ziegler), Rockie (Laura), Zanna (Marty Redger), Amber (Quinton Isaac), Layne, Lee, Brennen (Abigail), James, Caleb, Lanae, Jace, and Drew; five great-grandchildren: Max, Skylar, Brett, Colton, and Hayden; brother-in-law Dean Litwiller, Eden, Utah; Pete’s siblings: Henry Koehn Jr., Montezuma, Kansas, David John and Janet Koehn, Dodge City, Kansas, Betty Rose and Clayton Wiebe, Durham, Kansas; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Pete; son, Andy; sister, Carolyn Litwiller; brother, Larry Schneider; nephew, Brent Litwiller; and many others.

Family will receive friends on Monday, July 14, 2025 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM in the chapel at Maple View Retirement Community, 4396 S. Luce Rd., Ithaca, MI 48847, and from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the Mt. Calm Mennonite Church, 315 N. Gratiot St., Carson City, MI. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 10:30 AM at the Mt. Calm Mennonite Church, with Ministers Darin Litwiller, James Leid, and Jeff Litwiller officiating. Interment will take place immediately following the funeral in the Mt. Calm Mennonite Cemetery.

Those desiring to make contributions in Joyce’s memory may do so by donating to Maple View Retirement Community, 4396 S. Luce Road, Ithaca, MI 48847.