Ralph Koenig

Ralph Carl Koenig was born January 27, 1956, in Miles City, MT to Edward and Bertha (Huether) Koenig. He joined older brother Dennis and 3 older sisters Stella, Beverly, and Peggy at home. Ralph went home to spend Christmas with Jesus on the morning of Christmas Eve at his home, surrounded by his loving family, following a battle for many years with complications from diabetes and heart failure. Ralph received his schooling for his first 8 grades at the O’Donnell Country School, being 1 of only 4 total students, all boys in his class. He attended Baker High School for the remaining 4 years, graduating in 1974. Following graduation, Ralph went to work at Equity Co-op Grain Elevator, working there full time, before leasing the family farm from his parents in 1979. After that, Ralph spent his years working on the farm and also worked part time at Equity Co-op Grain elevator, Baker Livestock Yard and in the oilfield for his Brother-in-law Richard Griffith. On August 29, 1975, he married his high school sweetheart, Joan Knipp at St Johns Catholic Church in Baker. To this union 2 daughters were born; Kodi in 1976 and Kandis in 1977. In 1979, Ralph and Joan moved from living in Baker to the farm North of Baker where Ralph had been raised. They raised their daughters there and continued to make their home on the farm until his death. Ralph loved the farm, and enjoyed having kids visit and spend time at the farm, especially his 2 granddaughters that he loved dearly. He always took pleasure in letting kids do things and teaching them things they would have never had the opportunity to do living in town, whether that was branding calves, helping with the pigs, feeding cows, sledding, snowmobiling or riding 4-wheeler. He always fondly remembered the years that his Nephew Brett and Brother-in-law Pat would take every opportunity to spend time on the farm with him. He almost always had sweet tarts in his shirt pocket that he would share with the nieces and nephews whenever he saw them. Ralph loved gardening, and especially loved growing Roses. He enjoyed canning and making his own Dill Pickles and was very proud to teach his Son-In-Law to can pickles. Family was a very important part of his life, and he enjoyed having family gatherings and especially loved having family meals at the farm, gathered around the table his Father-in-Law made. Ralph also loved deer hunting and was always waiting until the last week before using his buck tag, knowing there was always going to be a bigger one out there, and he was usually right. In the earlier years, he enjoyed that he was able to go Elk hunting with his Brother-In-Law Lyle and in the later years, always looked forward to the week that friends Bud, Dave, and Tom would come from Pennsylvania to spend hunting with him. He was also a coin collector and loved collecting Morgan Dollars, Liberty Half Dollars and Silver Eagles. Ralph was proud to share that interest also with his son-in-law Mike. He could spot a wheat penny lying on the ground from a mile away. Traditions were an important part of Ralph’s life. One tradition that was important to him was making sausage every year. Every fall, he made sausage for many family members, using the same recipe of measuring by the handfuls that his dad used. He passed that same tradition down to his daughters and granddaughters. While Ralph’s health was good, he served on the Board of Directors for Baker Livestock Auction, Farmers Union Oil Company, and the School Board for Baker High School. Ralph became a diabetic in 1973, suffering from many complications throughout the years. One of which was kidney failure. After being on dialysis for 3 ½ years, on November 4, 1999, when hope was thin, God reached down and gave Ralph his life back again, in the form of a kidney/pancreas transplant. He received this gift of life through a very generous donation from the Kim Miller family of Slayton, MN. Ralph’s family can never thank the Kim Miller family enough for giving us 15 extra years with him. The years we had with Ralph were not enough, but we Thank God for the years that he did give us with Ralph, and especially the last 15 bonus years. Ralph will be missed by many, and we were truly blessed to have him in our lives. Ralph is survived by his wife Joan, daughters Kodi Koenig, & fiancé Randy Wolfgram, Belfield, ND, & Kandis (Michael) Albertson, Billings, MT. His 2 granddaughters Taylor Koenig, Dickinson, ND and Karlee Albertson, Billings, MT. His brother, Dennis (Faye) Koenig, sisters Stella (Bill) Bigger, and Peggy (Kenny) Meccage, his very special Aunt Erna O’Donnell. He is also survived by his mother-in-law Phyllis Knipp, all of Joan’s siblings and their spouses, along with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents Ed & Bertha, his infant sister, Gail Koenig, and sister Beverly Koenig, nephew & niece Dustin and Kandi Koenig, father-in-law Everett Knipp, nephew Isaac Knipp and great-nephew Reiker Logan.


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Burial Date: December 31, 2014
Funeral Home Baker, MT
Church St. John's Catholic Church

Funeral Mass: Wednesday: St. John Catholic Church, Baker, MT