Helen Kohtz

Helen Kohtz, age 95, of Aurora died Thursday evening, December 23, 2004, at Memorial Community Care.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, December 28th at the First Christian Church in Aurora. Rev. Sam Fox will officiate. Interment will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery at 2:00 P.M. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 P.M. Monday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary in Aurora. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: HELEN KOHTZ

Helen Naomi Kohtz, the daughter of C.J. (Charles) and Sally (Asher) Zimmerman, was born in a log cabin at Rulo, Nebraska on August 3, 1909 and died in Aurora, Nebraska on December 23, 2004, at the age of 95.

She attended grade school in Reserve, Kansas and graduated from Falls City High School in 1930.

On July 21, 1934, Helen married George Bense in Hiawatha, Kansas. They lived in several towns in Nebraska and South Dakota before moving to Napa, California in 1941. Because of George's health, they moved back to Winner, South Dakota and then to Pawnee City, Nebraska. George passed away in 1971.

Helen was a homemaker and Sunday school teacher during her children's early years. She always raised big gardens and chickens to help feed the family. They moved to Lexington in 1946, before settling in Grand Island in 1951.

Helen had a number of jobs in Grand Island - Wolback's Department Store, Brodkey's Jewelry, Shuff's Cafeteria, the Leiderkrantz and the Ordinance Plant.

She married Richard Kohtz on August 24, 1969 at the First Christian Church in Grand Island, where she was a member. She transferred her membership to the First Christian Church in Aurora, where she was active in the church circles and their bazaars. Helen was also president of the Gaby Gals Extension Club for several years and was an active member of the Platte Valley Izzac Walton League for 37 years. In 1966, she received an award from the national president for her outstanding contributions to this organization. She was also a member of the Grand Island Eagle's Club.

Helen lived a Christian life of loving, caring and giving, not only of herself, but her worldly goods. She was known to everyone as Grandma.

After a stroke she lived at Memorial Community Care and was a favorite of all the staff, who loved her for her big smile, her enthusiasm and her quick wit.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, George; three brothers, Clarence, Reed and Vernal Zimmerman; four sisters, Elsie Spurgon, Ethyl Schrodl, Zelma Curry and Gertrude Daws; son, Roderick and grandson, Timothy Mahon.

Helen is survived by her husband, Richard Kohtz; three daughters, Georgelen Ann (John) Mahon of Aurora, Emma Jean (Larry) Van Bibben of Mesa, Arizona and Judith (John) Puga of Big Spring, Texas; 16 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great grandchildren. Helen was most proud of the fact that she had five families of five generations each.