Stanley Koehn
Obituary
Stanley Joe Koehn, 68, left his body on
the morning of Sept. 6, 2018. He went peacefully in his sleep,
dreaming of a land where the bacon and Pilsner Urquell run wild, and
the skies are not cloudy all day.
Stan was born April 16, 1950, in
Goessel to Inez and George Koehn. He grew up in the small community
of North Newton, where he attended elementary and high school. He
furthered his education at Wichita State University, Emporia State
University and his beloved Kansas State University.
Stan found his heart's home on McDowell
Creek in 1981. He lived in an old stone farmhouse with no plumbing
for 20 years, as he loved his rustic lifestyle and treasured each
outdoor shower in the middle of the winter.
In 1985, Stan graduated from KSU with a
degree in Architecture. He had a passion for design, an eye for
renovating old homesteads and a commitment to sustainable building.
Stan left his mark on every project he worked on, but especially his
renovations; he possessed an innate talent for restoring the original
beauty of long forgotten homesteads.
He had very fond memories of his time
spent at Meadowcreek in Arkansas, with his compadres in architecture:
Daryl Rantis, Steve Downen, Doug Pierce and his mentors Gary Coates,
Will Orr and David Orr. He worked as a designer/builder from 1985
until shortly before his death. Stan's passion for building always
overlapped with his connection to his clients, many of whom became
good friends.
He married Teresa Tait at the farm on
May 17, 1998, and together they began a renovation of their
farmhouse. It was during this process that Stan finally surrendered
to indoor plumbing, and he remained grateful for every warm shower
that followed.
His musical skills blossomed over the
years, faithfully attending the Walnut Valley Festival/National Flat
Pick Championships in Winfield. He was part of a musical community
that got together every week to jam, catch up and imbibe -a night
that brought much joy to his life. He was a lover of all instruments,
but spent most of his time on the harmonica and upright bass. Legend
now has it, if you take a harmonica out on a windy Kansas day, he
might just play for you.
Stan was not only a designer and
musician. His artistry was ever present in each part of his life.
From fishing, cross-country skiing and history, to taking time to
understand what he did not, Stan's greatest gift was making sure
those around him knew they were loved.
He was preceded in death by his
parents, Inez and George; his brother, Steve; brother-in-law, Carson;
and grandchildren, Jackson, Daryl and Jessica.
Left to carry on Stan's memory are his
wife, Teresa; and her children, Ted and Denise, Tony, Brenda and Max,
and Taylor and Aimée. From Teresa's family, there are seven
beautiful grandchildren; mother, Verene; one brother; two sister; one
sister-in-law; 17 nieces and nephews and their partners; and 45
great-nieces and great-nephews. Surviving rom the Koehn family are
Stan's brother, Jim and his wife Alice; sister, Virginia and husband
Ron; brother, Brad and brother in love Larry; four nephews; two
great-nephews; eight great-nieces; five great-great-nephews; and one
great-great-niece. Stan not only had a big family, but will live on
in the hearts of many dear friends.
A Celebration of a life well lived will
be held in the spring of 2019, close to Stan's birthday.
Contributions and memorials in memory
of Stan may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral
Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
Online condolences may be left through
the funeral home website at www.ymlfuneralhome.com.
