Rena Koch

Rena Marie Koch passed away on February 15, 2023, in Billings, Montana. Rena was born November 2, 1921 to Harry and Margaret (Holmes) Koch on her father's homestead farm located six miles northeast of Sumatra, Montana. When Rena was two years old, the family moved to her grandparents' (William and Rena Holmes) homestead on Muggins Creek seven miles south of Sumatra. She attended primary school in Sumatra. In the spring of 1936, after Rena graduated from the eighth grade, the family moved to the Wolf Mountains southwest of Colstrip. The following year her family moved to a farm along Armells Creek ten miles southwest of Forsyth. In 1940, Rena graduated from Forsyth High School. She then attended Billings Business College after which she worked for the TePee Motor Company in Forsyth.

In 1944, Rena lived in Michigan working at a defense plant in Adrian. After returning to Forsyth, Rena worked for Dr. Haywood and Dr. Phillips. In 1948, Rena moved with her parents and brother William (Bill) to a farm just west of Fishtail, Montana. Rena was working at the Coast to Coast Store in Billings when her father died in 1954. She and her mother moved to Billings where they resided for 31 years until her mother died in 1985. During her time in Billings, Rena worked for Associated Food, Inc. (Independent Wholesale Grocers Corp.) and the Billings Public School District until she retired in 1988. Rena continued living at 530 Alderson until 2017 when, at the age of nearly 96, she moved to MorningStar Senior Living. It was there that she celebrated her 100th birthday in 2021 with a party filled with family and friends.

Rena was an active member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church being a eucharistic minister to the sick and homebound, a Stephen Minister, and member of both the Council of Catholic Women and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. She held the office of President of the Council of Catholic Women at Holy Rosary Church for several years; on several occasions she also served as treasurer for the two Catholic women's organizations. Rena was active in the RCIA Program when it was first installed at Holy Rosary Parish. Her attendance at both Sunday and daily Masses were important in her life.

Rena was preceded in death by her father, mother, brother Bill (late of Greeley, Colorado), and nephew Nicholas (Champaign, Illinois). She is survived by her brother's wife Jean (Woltermann) Koch, nephew Nicholas Koch's wife Susan Fowler, nephew Greg Koch and his wife Ann (Fort Collins), nephew Steve Koch and his wife Shellie (Greeley), niece Carol Landretti and her husband Tony (Greeley), as well as nine great nephews and nieces, and two great-great nephews.

Visitation will be held at 5pm on Monday February 27, 2023, at Dahl Funeral Chapel. A Vigil Service will follow at 6pm. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11am on Tuesday February 28, 2023, at St. Pius X Catholic Church. A luncheon will be served with interment to follow at Mountain View Cemetery in Columbus, Montana. The Funeral Mass will be livestreamed at: https://www.stpiusxblgs.org/worship/streaming-mass/