EMMA A. KOEHLER's Obituary
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Emma Koehler, who passed gently in her sleep on Wednesday, January 24th, 2018. Emma was born as Emolia Ann Perez on July 29th, 1922 in Hayward, California. She was born to immigrant parents who came to this country from Salamanca, Spain. Emma had 5 brothers, one who was her twin, and 1 sister. As a child, she worked in the fields, and orchards, picking fruit with her family. Being very young, she would use a stick to knock peaches to the ground for her brothers to retrieve. One of these sticks turned out to be a rattlesnake. Emma was paralyzed with fear as she locked eyes with the dangerous snake. Luckily she was able to break free to get her father, who handled it with his shotgun. This story stuck with her all of her life. She also recalled to her family the difficulty of starting elementary school not knowing how to speak English. Back in those days they didn’t take the extra time to teach English to students. Emma had to jump in with her resilient spirit and learn on her own. Years later, Emma met the man that would come to be the love of her life, Wayne, at a street dance in Hayward. She was less than impressed with their first encounter, thinking Wayne thought, in her words, “he was all that,” since he was spending money to get his shoes shined. Sometime later, her brother Emilio brought a co-worker over for dinner. This co-worker turned out to be the same young man from the street dance (though Emma wouldn’t realize this until sometime after they were dating). Wayne became a constant fixture around the house, and Emma didn’t think much about it. That is until the night he told her he was coming over to see her, and not her brother, and asked her to please stop going to bed so early. It must have worked. They were married in May of 1941. They had their first son, Dennis, and not too long after Wayne had to leave the two behind to fight in World War II. Emma recalled seeing him from a distance when he returned home, and her running to embrace him. They were a real-life Hollywood romance. They went on to have a second son, Lenny, and then their only daughter, Larina. They eventually moved to Fremont, where they would spend many joy filled years. In 1987 they followed their children to Modesto, as family was one of the most important things to them. Friends were also of great importance, and they made a great many by being avid mall walkers. Emma enjoyed 64 years of marriage with Wayne. In his later years he suffered from Parkinson’s disease, and Emma single handedly took care of him, showing us all the meaning of true love. After Wayne passed in 2005, she missed him every day, but still stayed active with the mall walking they began together years before. She also loved spending her time with family, and friends. Emma was preceded in death by Her parents Eustaquio, and Maximina Perez. Her brothers Frank (wife Dorothy), Joseph (wife Frances), Esteban (passed in infancy), Emilio (wife Carmen), Benacio (Emma’s twin brother), and her only sister, Theresa. Also, two of her daughter in laws, Pat, and Rosie, both wives of son Dennis, and husband Wayne Pershing Koehler. She is survived by son Dennis (longtime companion Lupita), son Lenny (wife Janet), daughter Larina (husband Fernando). Her grandchildren Laurie (longtime companion Keith), David (wife Meredith), Sarah (husband Andrew), Felisha (husband Nick), Justin, and Nathan. Great grandchildren Michael, Jazmine, Nathan, Christian, Elijah, Shawna, and William. Great great grandchildren Makaya, Michael, and Isabella. Also, many nieces, and nephews, and her brother in law Bill (husband of Theresa).
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