Margie Ruth Koehn

Margie Ruth Koehn, the fourth child in a family of six, was born to Ben T. and Bertha (Redger) Koehn on May 21, 1939, in Littlefield, Texas. She passed away July 24, 2026, at The Maples at Har-Ber Meadows, Springdale, Arkansas, leaving a clear testimony of peace with God. In November of 1940, the family moved to Winton, California, where Margie attended eight years of school in Livingston and Mariposa. She made special memories during the two school years in Mariposa. In June of 1953, when Margie was fourteen, the family made the long journey to what would become their new home in Gentry, Arkansas. Here they settled on a farm at the end of a quiet country lane. During the first year, Margie fell gravely ill with rheumatic fever, which permanently damaged her heart. Life on the farm was not easy, but there was always a way. Many hours were spent singing together as a family in the evening or while driving. They built a new house in 1966-67. This would be Margie’s home until the end of her days. At the age of twenty, she began working at the Peterson chicken processing plant where she became the safety inspector. It was during these years that she became a member of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, being baptized, together with her brother Arthur and sister Lillian, on September 12, 1982, by Minister Daniel Koehn. The Koehn family became the seed around which the Gentry congregation grew. She lived her faith conscientiously. After retiring from the chicken plant, Margie taught school for a number of years at the Gentry and Ulysses, Kansas congregations. Later she worked in a local fabric shop. She was a gifted seamstress, sewing for people, and teaching numerous young girls how to sew. Many enduring friendships were formed. Margie loved children. Although she never had any children of her own, many young people knew her as Grandma Margie, and her care for their salvation was evident. She will be missed. She is survived by her sister, Lillian Miller, Gentry, AR; sisters-inlaw Norma Koehn, Livingston, CA, and AnnaLe Koehn, Montezuma, KS; four nephews, Russell and Nancy Koehn, Ontario, OR, Wayne and Becky Koehn, Colorado Springs, CO, Dean Koehn, Marshall, TX, Michael Wiggs, Hong Kong, China; three nieces, Deneise and Gary Luis, Atwater, CA, Hazel and Diana Koehn, Livingston, CA. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Her funeral will be Thursday, July 30, at 10:30 a.m., all at Church of God in Christ Mennonite Church Gentry, 10798 Bloomfield North Rd., Gentry, Arkansas, 72734. Margie will be buried at the Church of God in Christ Mennonite Cemetery, next to the church building. To sign the online guestbook, please visit: www.wassonfuneralhome.com

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Margie Ruth Koehn

May 21, 1939 - July 24, 2026