Lillian Koehler

Lillian Mae (Price) Koehler, daughter of Roy Harrison Price and Nina Grace (Achenbaugh) Price, was born on October 11, 1924 at her parents' home west of Macedonia, Iowa. She graduated from the Macedonia Consolidated School high school in 1942 where she loved playing basketball. Lillian also had fond memories of going with her three sisters to Carson on Wednesday and Saturday nights. They also enjoyed watching their dad umpire baseball games. These outings were a big deal for the Price sisters.
Lillian married Leonard Alva Koehler on June 22, 1942 in Rockport, Missouri and soon Leonard left for the military and served in World War II. Lillian moved to Council Bluffs with her sister, Dorothy, and worked in a cafA(c) on Broadway. When Leonard returned from the war, they began a farming career. Their marriage was blessed with three children, Kathy, Steven, and Shirley. A nephew, Gary Brownell, also lived with the family for a short time.
Lillian was a vital part of the farming operation, helping to operate the farm machinery, feed the livestock, and especially care for the sheep shearing. She was very active in the Farm Bureau Women's Group and was named 1962 East Pottawattamie Farm Bureau Homemaker of the Year. Lillian and Leonard farmed until 1965. They then moved to the home she and Leonard built in Macedonia.
Lillian was active in the community serving as a Cub Scout den mother, a member of the Carson-Macedonia PTA and the band parents for whom she organized the annual band carnivals. She served the Macedonia United Methodist Church as church secretary, Sunday School and Bible School teacher. Lillian's love for sewing new clothes for the girls was her great hobby. She also enjoyed crocheting afghans, baking pies, wheat rolls, and Christmas candies and watching Michael Jordan play basketball. Lillian also played bridge in a bridge club for several years. When Leonard semi-retired, they enjoyed camping at Storm Lake and Griswold where they liked to dance, fish, sell their crafts and socialize with their camping friends. She was a 50 year member of the Macedonia Methodist Church and East Pottawattamie Farm Bureau. She was former member of the Sigma Gamma Club, Macedonia American Legion Auxiliary, and TOPS club.
Lillian and Leonard had been married 55 years when he passed away in April of 1998. Lillian continued to stay in her home and enjoyed keeping up her yard and flowers and enjoyed going to the Senior Center in Oakland. In 2005, she moved to an assisted living apartment at Risen Son Christian Village near Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Lillian died at Risen Son on November 20, 2005 at the age 81 years, 1 month, and 9 days. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, sisters, Dorothy Lidgett and Genevieve Defoort.
Lillian is survived by her children ; Kathy Forristall and her husband Pastor Larry Forristall of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Steven Koehler and his wife Debbie of Shenandoah, Iowa, and Shirley Allen and her husband Marlin of Carson, Iowa; sister Helen Brownell of Council Bluffs; grandchildren Theresa Moeller, Tracy McMaster, Jenny Stephens, Eric Koehler, Shannon Allen, and Melissa Mueller; great-grandchildren Tiffany, Ashley, and Casey Moeller; Marissa McMaster; Payton and Kassidy Stephens, and Madolyn Koehler; sister Helen Brownell; nephew Gary Brownell; nieces, Joni Nevins and Barb Potts.