Betty J. (Loberger) Koehnke

Betty J. (Loberger) Koehnke, 81, of Appleton, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Sunday, September 6, 2026. She was born on March 6, 1945, in Appleton, Wisconsin, and lived a life filled with love, laughter, family, friendship, and many wonderful memories.

Betty married the love of her life, Ralph Koehnke, on December 9, 1961, at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Appleton. Together, they built a beautiful life and shared many adventures throughout their marriage.

Betty attended cosmetology school and worked as a beautician for many years. She also found great joy in being a stay-at-home mom, dedicating herself to raising her family and creating a loving home. Her family was always at the heart of her life, and she especially cherished the time she spent with her children and grandchildren.

Betty and Ralph loved to travel together and enjoyed exploring destinations throughout the United States. For more than 20 years, they had a cabin on Chute Pond, where they looked forward to going “up north” nearly every weekend. The cabin became a special place filled with memories, laughter, friends, family, and countless good times.

Betty had a personality all her own. She had a wonderful sense of humor and knew how to have a good time. She loved going to the casino, shopping through catalogs, wearing beautiful jewelry, and getting dressed up. She enjoyed baking, watching westerns and rodeos, and had a special love for horses. She also loved flowers and gardening. Betty and Ralph took great pride in their garden and were even honored with an award for it.

Holidays were especially important to Betty, and she always made Christmas feel extra special. She loved decorating, celebrating, and bringing the family together—although Ralph may deserve some credit for doing a lot of the work behind the scenes. Those holiday traditions and memories will be treasured by her family for years to come.

Betty and Ralph were blessed with many close friends, and they enjoyed spending time together doing activities, sharing meals, traveling, and attending neighborhood parties. Betty loved being surrounded by people and had a way of making others feel welcome. Her humor, warmth, and lively personality brought joy to those around her.

Above all, Betty will be remembered as a devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother, loyal friend, and someone who knew how to enjoy the little things in life.

Betty is survived by her loving husband, Ralph Koehnke; children: Kim Peterson, Karrie (Butch) Knuppel, Scott (Jennifer) Koehnke, and Doug (significant other Connie Kienast); grandchildren: Jenny (Gary) Hill, Andrew (Abby) Peterson, Leslie (Joe) Wardwell, Trenton Knuppel, Brandon Koehnke, and Evan Koehnke; great grandchildren: Evelyn, Emmie, Elise, AJ, Aubrey, Amber, Owen, and Albie; step grandchildren: Andrew and Sam Merryfield; sister, Judy (Steven) Rutten; and sister-in-law, Sue Loberger. Betty is further survived by many nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Jerome and Laura (Appel) Loberger; infant son, Steven Thomas Koehnke who passed at birth; brothers: Victor (Evelyn) Loberger and Jerry Loberger; in-laws: Ralph Sr. and Agnes Koehnke; son-in-law, Mike Peterson; brother-in-law, Roger Blaese; as well as many extended family members.

A Funeral Service for Betty will be held on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. at Valley Funeral Home, 2211 N. Richmond St., Appleton. Visitation will begin at the funeral home at 9:00 a.m. and will continue until the time of the service. Betty will be laid to rest in Appleton’s Highland Memorial Park. For online condolences, please visit www.valleyfh.com.

Betty’s family would like to extend a special thank you to Compassus Hospice as well as Renaissance Care Center for the great care and compassion they provided.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.