OBIT: KOCH, August; Wet Mountian Tribune or Canon City Record, November, 1941 http://files.usgwarchives.org/co/fremont/obits/kocha.txt Contributed Oct 22, 2001 by: Ann Koch ============================================== Newspaper probably Wet Mountain Tribune or Canon City Record August Koch of Westcliffe Dies Following Fall Believed the last of the original German colony which settled the Wet Mountain Valley in 1871, August Koch, 75, died at a Canon City hospital at 9 o'clock Wednesday evening [Nov. 26, 1941] from shock, resulting from a fall last Saturday afternoon, when his leg was fractured. A widely known valley rancher, he had resided in Canon City [Fremont County] since December of last year, the Koch home being at 512 North Seventh Street. His hip was fractured Saturday when he stepped on a pencil, which rolled and caused him to fall. Wednesday evening hospital attendants were setting the fracture in the hospital operating room when he suffered a heart attack and died instantly. Born in Frankfurt-on-the-Maine, Germany, on April 29, 1866, Mr. Koch was a boy of only five years of age when a German colony set out from Chicago for the west. Traveling on horseback and in prairie schooners, the party passed through Canon City in late 1871, continued on into the Wet Mountain Valley. Mr. Koch's father, the late Frederick Koch, was one of the leaders. They settled on what is now Colony creek, later moved to the present Koch ranch, about two miles south of Hillside [Fremont County]. That had been the family home until they moved to Canon City a year ago, with the exception of one brief period when Mr. Koch resided here. In addition to ranching, he operated a retail ice business in the valley from 1918 to 1937. He was a member of Hope Lutheran church of Westcliffe and a former member of Canon City Elks Lodge No. 610 and the W.O.W lodge. He was married at Westcliffe on November 13, 1889, to Miss Mary Knoll [Noll]. They celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary two years ago. His wife survives as do nine children, Gustav of Hillside, Miss Katie Koch, Ernest and Chrisey Koch of Canon City, Otto of Chico, Calif., Henry and Mrs. Norton Hunt of Denver, Theodore and George of Pueblo [all now deceased], as well as 20 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have not been completed pending word from out-of-town relatives. The body of Mr. Koch is in care of the Canon mortuary. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.