Our mother was born, Alma Magnolia Thorsteinson, on January 20, 1917, in Roseau County, Minnesota, to parents Magnus and Olgart (Carlson) Thorsteinson. She was the first of three children, having a brother Otto and a sister Lillian. As a young girl, her family moved to Minneota, Minnesota, where she grew up and graduated with the Class of 1935. She worked in Minneota following graduation, washing clothes and cleaning for local families and getting the sum of 10 cents per day. She also worked at a Youth Center in Minneota. While at a dance in the area, she met a young farmer from Boyd, Minnesota, Reuben L. Koepp. Following their courtship, they were married in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, on November 23, 1938. Reuben and Alma made their home in the Boyd area their entire life. Their first home was living in the upstairs of her in-laws home. She often would talk about it and leave the impression that it wasn't easy. They were the parents of six children: Deanna, Douglas, Kathleen, Bruce, Gregory and Todd. Mom was a homemaker both in and out of the home. Inside she would raise her family, wash clothes with the "wringer", can, bake endlessly, especially homemade bread. It wouldn't be uncommon for her to make 10 loaves twice a week. Her neighbor Vernon would say he knew the days she was baking bread, because he could smell it at his place. Outside the house she would garden, work in the field, take care of her chickens (which she always had) and wash the cream separator and milkers, but she would never milk cows! Mom's grandchildren started in 1963 with a first grandson, Scott. He was followed by Darcy, Mark and then finally a granddaughter, Stacy, and then Deanna and Alfred had a final son, Neil. Our dad died in 1976, a year or so after mom had her brain aneurysm. She remained on the farm until October of 1978, when she and Todd moved to Clarkfield and with her went the bread pan. She adjusted to town life at a slow pace, but had wonderful friends and neighbors. Sandy got her interested in latch hook and over the years she made something for everyone from name wall hangings, to pillows, and many Disney characters for the great grandchildren. And yes, she continued to bake bread. The aroma could be smelled down the block and everyone would know what she was doing. Her house was like 'Grand Central Station' for the grandchildren. "Go to Grandma's after school." There were all those 'grandma things' that make memories; teaching them how to read, the wooden spoon, the fly swather, the church services in her living room, the sleep overs with the girls with Grandma and the boys in Todd's room, Bernie and Josh hiding her remote and making her watch the Twins instead of Professional Wrestling (which she sometimes would say, "I think it is fake") and yes when they saw the pan and ingredients out, they knew they would be helping make bread and rolls. In October of 1999, she moved to Valhalla Apartments to make her life simpler and aid in her health problems and once again the bread pan went with her. Though the baking was not as often, she would still make rolls (including those for diabetics) and bread with the help of her good friends, Cherry Heisner and Deanna Sopland. Her last outing with the entire family, was a trip to Sioux Falls in November of 2000 with her attending Neil and Marijo's wedding. She continued with her latch hook and added word find books and recently her daughter, Deanna, got her addicted to embroidery. In October she had a heart attack and the nurses at the hospital said she would sit up until midnight working on embroidery. She loved her family, her sons-in-law: Alfred and Bill, her daughters-in-law: Nancy, Georgi, Sandy and Le. And oh how she loved her grandchildren from Scott to Sammie, and her great grandchildren, from Kody to Lauren. She was always presented with the autographed game ball (baseball or football) after every Koepp family get-together and in the center of every team picture. She was a grandma to many others, too...Pastor Maland (whom she thought was the best), the aides at Valhalla (who made her last two years good ones), and even the nurses and aides at the Care Center. She loved her nephews the 'Bott Brothers' and was looking forward to meeting the lion. She was a kind and fun loving person. This last year has been hard on her. Losing her Grandson, Darcy, in October of 2000 was very hard for her to accept. Mom's health was slipping away fast the last month. Following her heart attack, she entered the Care Center on October 15th for a short stay. We could see that the stay might be a little longer than planned and on Sunday evening her life and ours changed. She passed away peacefully at the Chippewa County Montevideo Hospital on Wednesday morning, November 7th, after Joel had finished reading her favorite, Psalm 23. She gave her family a couple of extra days to say good-bye to her and prepare for our lives without her. Mom was 84 years, 9 months and 18 days. She will be missed, but remembered by her family, her nephews and nieces, and many friends including those at her lifelong church, Zion Lutheran, and now at Valhalla, and the Care Center. She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings Otto and Lilly, her husband Reuben, and grandson, Darcy. (Do you suppose there are bread pans in heaven? At our Koepp get-togethers, when there would be many of us, Grandma would say, "And look what Reuben and I started!" This is her family: Deanna and Alfred Scott and Tricia, Hannah and Rachel, Mark and Beth, Luke, Leah, and Lauren, Neil and Marijo Doug and Nancy (Darcy) and Kody, Stacy and Tim Pollock, Bethany and Seth Kathy and Bill Eric (and fiance, Arica Allickson), Bernie, Patrick, Allison, Kyle and Paul Bruce and Georgi Manoa and Jon Greg and Sandy Josh (and friend, Brenda), Joel and Amanda Todd and Le Robbie and Sammie That's six children, 18 grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren, and two extra friends, she was so proud of them all. Visitation Saturday, November 10, 2001 * 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Prayer Service 4:30 p.m. Lynner Funeral Home, Clarkfield, Minnesota Funeral Service Sunday, November 11, 2001 * 2:00 p.m. Zion Lutheran Church, Tyro Township Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota Officiating, Pastor Randy Maland Organist, Barb Berg Prelude, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" by her grandson, Scott "Abide With Me, Fast Falls The Even Tide" by her grandson, Joel Her Honorary Casketbearers Robbie and Sammie in California Pat in Japan Amanda, Allison, Stacy Her Church Casketbearers Paul, Joel Jon, Kyle Bernie, Manoa Her Graveside Casketbearers Neil, Tim Josh, Eric Mark, Scott Final Resting Place Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Tyro Township Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota Arrangements by Lynner Funeral Home Since 1891 Clarkfield Minnesota