Irma Lee Koonce

Irma Lee Koonce, 86 of West Salem, WI passed away on Sunday, April 23, 2023, at the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse. She was born February 20, 1937, in St. Paul, MN to Alvin and Bertha (Berquist) Wisdom and graduated from St. Paul Central High School on June 17, 1955.

On September 22, 1956, she married William “Ed” Koonce at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in St. Paul, and he preceded her in death in January of 1996. In 1967 the family moved to Prairie du Chien, WI. Irma loved being a stay-at-home mom, raising their three children, Daniel, Roberta and David. Following Dan and Roberta’s graduations, she began working at Ben Franklin in 1976 because she always liked to stay active.

Irma enjoyed refurbishing antiques, gardening, working with wicker and was proud to have been an animal rights activist. She was proud to have been a longtime member of the Presbyterian Church of West Salem. Her most favorite time was spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Irma is survived by her three children: Daniel (Deborah) Koonce of La Crosse, Roberta (Robert) Hayes of St. Paul, MN and David (Debbie) Koonce of Prairie du Chien; seven grandchildren, Regan (Tim Snyder) Koonce, Allie (Josh) Appel, Jacob (Ashley) Hayes, Jordan Hayes, Alex (Samantha) Koonce, Malorie (Ross) Baxter and Zeke (Morgan) Koonce; 16 great-grandchildren, Aiden, Emmett, Everly, Charlotte K., Porter, Harrison, Eleanor, Henry, Olivia, Zaylee, Charlotte H., Kinnley, Rhett, Zoe, Boston and Ivy; two sisters, Barbara Wisdom of Red Wing, MN and Donna (Stephan) Benson of Laurens, S.C. In addition to her husband Ed, she was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Alvin (Verna) Wisdom, her beloved pets, Cloe and Kitty.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 P.M. Thursday, May 11 ^th at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home, 907 Sand Lake Road, Onalaska with Rev. Daniel McCurdy officiating. A visitation will be held at the funeral home on Thursday from 2:30 P.M. until the time of the services. Graveside services will be held at 1:00 P.M. Friday, May 12 ^th at Riverside Cemetery in Brunswick, Minnesota.