Ruth T. Koula

Ruth T. Koula, 96, of Coon Valley, passed away Friday February 21, 2014 at the Norseland Nursing Home in Westby where she had been a resident since January 2010. She was born in Vernon County on January 6, 1918 to Thomas and Rikka (Nesset) Johnson. Ruth was baptized and confirmed at the Coon Valley Lutheran Church where she was a lifelong member. She graduated from Viroqua High School and then from the Vernon County Normal School and became a teacher. She taught in the Esofea and Oak Ridge Schools. Ruth married Adolph Koula on June 8, 1940 in the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They lived their entire married life in the same house on Central Avenue in Coon Valley. Adolph passed away on January 24, 1984.

Ruth was proud of her Norwegian heritage and was a life member of the Norskedalen Heritage Center and a member of the Sons of Norway. She was an active member of the Coon Valley Lutheran Church and WELCA and participated in the church bell choir for a number of years. She was also active in helping write the church history book.

She is survived by two sons, Jon (Judy) of Westby, and Arlyn (Mary Ann) of Orlando, Florida; five granddaughters Jill (David) Hengel of La Crosse, Kelsey (Brett) Janzen of Sun Prairie, Katelyn, Alexis and Gabriella Koula of Orlando; two great grandchildren Danica and Maxwell Hengel of La Crosse; a sister Bergetta Jorgenson of Coon Valley and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband Adolph, Ruth was preceded in death by one son, Brian Koula in 1989; one grandson Daniel Koula in 1994; two sisters Helen Spriggs and Inez Lee; brothers and sisters-in-law, Wenzel and Marie Koula, Joseph and Alice Koula, Ben and Jenny Schroer, Helen and Ervin Bena, Bill Spriggs, Raymond Lee and Leonard Jorgenson.