Paula Koch

Paula Koch, age 63, of Milbank, SD, passed away Thursday, April 20, 2023, at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, ND.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank, SD. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 24, 2023, at Mundwiler Funeral Home in Milbank, and with continue one hour prior to the service on Tuesday at the church. Rev. Chris Davis will officiate the service and interment will be at Milbank City Cemetery.

Paula Marie (Huizenga) Koch was born on February 9, 1960, to Glen and Luane (Adolphson) Huizenga. After graduating from Ortonville High School in 1978, she attended Willmar Area Vocational Technical Institute in Willmar, MN, earning a Legal Secretary Degree in 1979.

While in Willmar, she gave birth to her son, Jared, and they spent time living in St. Paul, MN, and Wheaton, MN, before returning to Ortonville, where she worked for Pflueger, Kunz, and McLaughlin Law Office, First English Lutheran Church, The Matador, and the VFW. In 1993, she enrolled at the University of Minnesota-Morris, majoring in Psychology. She later worked for United Hardware, Emanuel Lutheran Church, Nelson Law Office, and Foley and Foley Law Office.

After relocating to Milbank, she met the love of her life, Todd Koch. They were married June 28, 2008, at Emanuel Lutheran Church. Together, they took road trips to visit family and friends, tended to their garden, watched and documented the birds that would visit their yard and garden, and in 2021, took a long bus trip to visit national monuments and national parks. Their greatest joy came from spending as much time as possible with their grandson, Rueben.

Paula’s hobbies included cross stitching, singing, and canning vegetables (most notably, pickles) from her and Todd’s garden. But anyone that knew her knows her true passion was attending events: first for her son, and nieces and nephews, and later for her grandson and great-nieces and nephews.

Paula is survived by her husband, Todd; son, Jared Huizenga of Eden Prairie, MN; stepdaughter, Katie (Bill) Schellberg of Milbank, SD; stepson, Fred Koch; one grandson, Rueben Schellberg; her mother, Luane Huizenga of Ortonville, MN; two sisters: Janine (Orville) Folk of Milbank, SD; and Angela Bloss of Ortonville, MN; one brother, Scott (Lou) Huizenga of Ortonville, MN; along with many nieces, nephews, godchildren, and close friends.

She was preceded in death by her father, Glen Huizenga; two brothers: Russell Huizenga, and Steve Huizenga; paternal grandparents, John and Lena Rand; and maternal grandparents, Colonel and Louise Adolphson.