Margaret Koziolek, 1933-2019

Published 1:37 pm Monday, November 25, 2019

Funeral services for Margaret Mary Koziolek will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at All Saints Catholic Church in New Richland. The Rev. Antony Arokiyam will officiate. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery in New Richland. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church. Online condolences are welcome at www.bayviewfuneral.com.

Margaret Koziolek

Margaret died Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, at Northern Lakes Senior Living surrounded by her loving and supportive family. Margaret M. Koziolek was born Oct. 17, 1933, in Dodge County to Joseph and Dora (Houdek) Renchin. Margaret grew up a farmer’s daughter in Dodge County, where she graduated from Hayfield High School in 1951 and later graduated from Winona State University in 1956 with an elementary teaching degree. On Aug. 3, 1957, Margaret was united in marriage to Francis A. Koziolek at Sacred Heart Church in Hayfield. She taught elementary school for many years before she retired from New Richland-Hartland Elementary. The most important thing in Margaret’s life was her family. She also loved to garden, sew, read, craft, bake and quilt. Her family really enjoyed her homemade baked goods and her wonderful quilts. Margaret was a member of All Saints Catholic Church in New Richland, where she was a religion teacher and a member of the Council of Catholic Women. Margaret was a volunteer for the Hartland Legion Auxiliary, Freeborn County Pork Producers, 4-H and teacher retirement organizations, such as the Delta Kappa Gamma Lambda chapter.

Survivors include her daughters Ann (Geary) Cooper and her daughter, Samantha; Joni (Randy) Hamson and their children Jona, Meghan (Justin) Gangestad, sons Thomas, James and Benjamin; Mary (Scott) Owens and their children Marissa, Julia and Anthony; Brenda (Ron) Guappone and their children Adeline and Vinny; and Frances (Chris) Michel and their sons Gregory, Trevor and Joshua. She is also survived by sisters Alice Arnold and Rosemary Besch; brother-in-law, Vernon Ginder; sisters-in-law Anita (Thomas) Wilharm, Rosemary (Dan) Heins, Jenny Koziolek and Kate Koziolek; and many nieces and nephews.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Francis; grandson, Jeremy Owens, in infancy; sisters Dorothy (Bob) Virnig, Theresa (Jim) Kasper, Frances (Roger) Blakestad, Roger Engen and Sylvia Ginder; brother, David (Alleen) Renchin; brothers-in-law Kenny Arnold, Jerome Besch, Leon Koziolek and Alex Koziolek Jr.; and sisters-in-law Jane (Don) Czerwonka and Evelyn (Verle) Nickerson.

The family would like to give a special thanks to the staff of Northern Lakes Senior Living in Baxter.

Memorials are preferred to All Saints Catholic Church and the Dementia Society of America.