Joseph "Joe" Koep

Joseph “Joe” A. Koep, age 72, of Clitherall, died peacefully at his home on Sunday, February 23, 2020.

A Mass of Christian Burial is 11 a.m., Saturday, February 29, 2020, at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Millerville with Fr. Peter VanderWeyst, Fr. Jeff Ethen, Fr. Paul Folsom, and Deacon Craig Stich officiating.  Music will be provided by the church choir.  Interment will be at the church cemetery.

Visitation is 4-8 p.m., Friday, February 28, 2020, at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic Church with a 7:30 p.m., Knights of Columbus Rosary followed by parish prayers.

Joseph Allen was born on January 20, 1948, to Paul and Amelia (Stich) Koep in Parkers Prairie.  He attended Sacred Heart Parochial School in Urbank through the eighth grade and graduated from Parkers Prairie High School in 1966.  In his younger years, he enjoyed playing baseball for the Urbank Bombers and Millerville Millers. He also started working at a young age for his dad at Urbank Bait Company and Koep Furs. Joe was united in marriage to Eileen Schiele on April 20, 1968, at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Church. In 1967, Joe purchased Barnack’s Camp on Spitzer Lake and renamed it Spitzer Lake Resort and Bait Company. During the 70’s and 80’s, he continued to work with his dad buying and selling fur. In 1977, Joe and Phil purchased Urbank Bait from their parents. Joe and Eileen started Koep’s Clitherall Corner in 1985. Joe sold his share of Urbank Bait to his brother, Phillip and started Koep’s Fish Farm raising his prized golden shiners. In 1999, he started Koep’s Bobbers and Bait in Glenwood. Joe sold the resort in 2012 on Spitzer Lake and moved to the Carlson farm on Sampson Lake where he continued living until his death. He was member of Our Lady of Seven Dolors Church. Joe was president of Minnesota Bait Dealers Association and Urbank Sportsmen’s Club. He was a member of Urbank Lion’s Club for over 40 years and Millerville Knights of Columbus for over 50 years. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, trap shooting, flying his float plane, deer and bird watching. He also loved watching his grandchildren play sports, traveling to Baker, Montana, and keeping tabs of the traffic on Sampson Lake.

He was preceded in death by his parents; paternal grandparents, Joseph and Emma Koep; maternal grandparents, Stephen and Martha Stich; brother, Wesley (Darla) Koep; sister, Eileen Suchy; and father-in-law, Wilfred Schiele.

Joe is survived by his wife of 51 years, Eileen; son, Steven (Michelle Thompson) Koep and their sons, Drake and Mason all of Becker; daughter, Nancy Koep and her sons, Evan and Ty all of Glenwood; two brothers, Marv (Judy) Koep of Breezy Point and Phil (Kathy) Koep of Clitherall; sister, Bev (Tom) Lorine of Clitherall; brother-in-law, Bernie Suchy of Vining; mother-in-law, Bernadine Schiele of Millerville; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Evelyn (Dan) Griffith of Morris, Don (Doris) Schiele of Phoenix, Arizona, David (Deb) Schiele of Underwood, Greg Schiele of Alexandria, Ann (Larry) Nelson of Battle Lake, Mark Schiele of Fridley, John (Holly Bentz) Schiele of Chanhassen; along with numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Pallbearers are Barry Jesinoski, Tim Koubsky, Eric Koep, Paul Koep, Marshall Koep, Michael Lorine, Kevin Koep, Jeff Griffith, and Luke Griffith. Honorary pallbearers are Darin Schiele, Cody Schiele, Chuck Griffith, Chris Nelson, Brian Henry, Matt Hanson, Pat Suchy, and Kim Suchy.