Mary-Ellen Koehler

Daughter of Carl W. and Hazel (Eymer) Aeppler, born in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin on August 18, 1924. Her parents owned and operated the Wisconsin Honey Farms, C. W. Aeppler Company, and Aeppler Orchards. She attended the Oconomowoc public schools, graduated from the University of Wisconsin/Madison and also was a graduate of the University's Graduate School of Library Science. This was followed by a European study trip and her first library position was with the Wauwatosa Public Library. She returned to Europe for two years where she organized a U.S. government library and hospital library in Augsburg, Germany. Following that she was a circulation librarian at the Queens Borough Public Library, reader's advisor at the Milwaukee Public Library, employed at the Oconomowoc Public Library and lastly a librarian in the Oconomowoc Public Schools. After her father's death she operated the C.W. Aeppler Company honey label business for several years. She also did a good deal of writing for bee journals in the U.S. and abroad and art magazine with regard to the honey bee and flora depicted on a silver service of her parents which was donated to the Milwaukee Art Museum. She is survived by her husband, Dr. John D. Koehler, a daughter, Debra Ellingson, and two grandsons, Earl James and Nicholas James Ellingson, 6 great grandchildren, and other relatives and friends. She was a long time member of the Oconomowoc Music Club, Oconomowoc Hospital Auxillary, the American Library Association, the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Library and Information Studies Alumnae Association, the American Beekeeping Federation, Second Century Founders Club and Heritage Club of Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. Also a life-long member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church of Oconomowoc and a honorary member of La Jolla Lutheran Church, California since its dedication in 1950. She also was an associate member of Marco Lutheran Church of Marco Island, Florida. Memorials are suggested for the Oconomowoc Music Club Scholarship Fund, Lutheran Homes of Oconomowoc, Inc., Oconomowoc Public Library, or the Oconomowoc Historical Museum. Funeral services for Mary-Ellen will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 2:00 PM with a visitation for family and friends starting at 1:00 PM all to take place at Pagenkopf Funeral Home (1165 E. Summit Avenue) with a private burial to follow at Summit Cemetery.