Mildred B. Kohake, 93, of Kelly, Kansas died on October 28, 2018 at Nemaha Valley Community Hospital.

She was born on November 11, 1924 in St. Benedict. She was one of thirteen children born to Henry and Ida Gelhaus-Hulsing. She attended St. Benedict School. After school, she worked as a nanny in Kansas City until she returned home to marry Anthony Kohake on April 25, 1944. They had 4 children and were married 35 years until Tony’s death on July 21, 1979.

After their wedding, Mildred and Tony lived at the Kohake Family homestead 3 1/2 miles east of Kelly.  She was kept busy on the family farm and took care of her brother-in-laws until they got married.  Mildred was active in the community and enjoyed helping neighbors and playing pitch. She self-taught herself how to upholster and refinish furniture then operated an upholstery business out of her house for over 40 years.

Mildred loved to garden and be outdoors. She kept a very large garden and enjoyed sharing its bounty with anyone who visited.  She never wanted to waste any food and loved to scrounge for fruit trees in the neighborhood to use for baking the pies that she was well known for.  In winter, she loved to pick out walnuts. She also took much pride in keeping her yard immaculate and there was never a dandelion in sight.  

She enjoyed sewing, embroidering tea towels and quilted blankets for her many grandkids. She loved following her grandkids sporting activities and she traveled to Alaska 17 times to see her two daughters and her grandchildren who lived there.

She was an active member of St. Bede’s Parish and Alter Society in Kelly. Mildred and her sister, Florence, were part of a group that helped clean the church. After Tony’s death she helped maintain the Kelly cemetery, pulling weeds and placing rocks on the bank with her sister Ida. She also volunteered at the Missions in Seneca for many years.

She moved off the farm Nov 1, 2016 and spent the last two years at Crestview Nursing Home and Life Care both of Seneca.

She was proceeded in death by her husband Anthony Kohake, her parents Henry and Ida Hulsing; her brothers Emil, Celestine (Sally), Henry (Hank), and Sisters Henrietta Holthaus, Mary Stallbaumer, Florence Kohake, Elsie McGuire.

Mildred is survived by her one son Gary Kohake [wife, Sarah] of Olathe, KS; three daughters Judy Mallory [husband Howard] of Skagway, Alaska, Bobbie Carlson [husband Dennis] of Sitka, Alaska and Susie (Sue) Kramer [husband Duane] of Topeka, Kansas; her 3 brothers Benny, Victor (Buddy) and Joe, of Seneca; her 2 sisters Ida Rose Sextro-Wichman of Kelly and Marcelline (Marcy) Meyer of Axtell; 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM, Wednesday, October 31,2018, at St. Bede’s Church in Kelly. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Tuesday, October 30th at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
Memorials are for St. Bede’s Catholic Church Cemetery Fund and to be sent in care of the family.

Lauer Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. To express your sympathy and for more information visit www.lauerfuneralhome.com .