Barbara J. Koeller, 90, died April 20, 2015, at Greenfield Senior Living in Memphis, Tennessee, after a long illness. She was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota, on March 14, 1925, to Jeanne Wilson and August L. Dietrich.
She spent her childhood in Milwaukee and Marion. She was the widow of Roy G. Koeller, to whom she was married for 63 years. They raised four children, a daughter and three sons, as a military family. Following Mr. Koeller’s retirement from the U.S. Navy, the family moved to Memphis in 1958. They were members of Christ the King Lutheran Church and the Military Order of World Wars, Memphis Chapter.
She obtained a GED diploma and graduated from Memphis State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in library science, and used her researching skills in the pursuit of genealogy. It satisfied her keen interest in historical events. She was a member of the Chickasaw Bluff Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and assisted many prospective members with researching their ancestry for membership, and she worked as a docent for Mallory Neely House. She was a member of the East Tennessee Historical Society. She enjoyed traveling and was proud to have attended 23 Elderhostel (Rhode Scholar) seminars from coast to coast before health issues intervened.
She is survived by her children, Kay Myers, of Burke, Virginia, Dr. Royal Koeller (Greer), of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Gary Koeller (Marilyn), of San Antonio, Texas, and Dr. Kelly Koeller (Susan), of Rochester, Minnesota. She is survived by eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews and second cousins.
Services were at Christ the King Lutheran Church on May 2, 2015.
Contributions may be made to Crossroads Hospice or Methodist Residence or charity of choice.
Memorial Park Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
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