Funeral services for Ken Koch, 84 year old Kaycee rancher who passed away quietly Wednesday morning at his home in Kaycee will be held Monday November 13th at 2:00 p.m. from the Harold Jarrard Park Building in Kaycee with Reverend Danny Davis officiating. Visitation will be held at the Harness Funeral Home Chapel on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and at the Jarrard Park Building on Monday from 12:00 noon until 1:30 p.m. Interment will be in the Kaycee Cemetery with the VFW and American Legion in charge of Military Graveside Rites. Donations in Mr. Koch’s memory may be made to the Hoof Prints of the Past Museum in care of the Harness Funeral Home at 351 N. Adams in Buffalo. Online condolences may be made at www.harnessfuneralhome.com
Kenneth Dan Koch was born on September 5th, 1933 in Buffalo to Daniel and Emma Koch. He went to grade school on Four Mile and graduated from Johnson County High School with the class of 1951. After high school he worked at various construction jobs and in 1955 he joined the U.S. Air Force. He attended cadet school in the Air Force and was a navigator in C-130 cargo planes and was stationed in France. He received an honorable discharge in February of 1959 and returned to Wyoming where he worked for his uncle Henry on the ranch. He was married on June 28th, 1961 in Buffalo to Emma Lee Meike and they made their home on the family ranch in Sussex. Ken and Emma lived, raised their family and ranched in Sussex until his death.
Ken was very active in the Powder River Grange, and was an officer in the National Grange for several years, He was a member of the Wool Grower’s Association, Cattleman’s Association, the Farm Bureau, Soil Conservation, the Sussex Irrigation District and was a director on the ASC. In the 1970’s and 80’s he helped establish the Wyoming Ag. Unity Group along with Craig Thomas. He was an avid hunter and fisherman but his passion was ranching and his family.
He is survived by his wife Emma Lee of Kaycee; three sons Richard Koch and his wife Cheri of Kaycee, Talbot Koch and his wife Tracy also of Kaycee and Fred Koch and his wife Jessica of Casper; two brothers Dale Koch of Ranchester and Roger Koch of Newcastle, Wyoming; one sister Jeanne Jenkins of Columbia Falls, Montana; nine grandchildren; three great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.
