Florence Kokesh, 91, of Wagner

Funeral Mass will be 10:30 AM, Saturday, November 5, 2022 at St. John's Catholic Church in Wagner. Burial is in St. John's Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be at the church on Friday from 5 to 7 PM, followed by Rosary/Wake Services at 7 PM.

Florence Loraine (Kostel) Kokesh was born July 4, 1931 in Wagner, SD, the daughter of Edward and Rose (Swatek) Kostel. She died Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at the Good Samaritan Society in Wagner.

Florence attended grade school at St. Wenceslaus Catholic School in Tabor and graduated from Wagner High School in 1948. She was united in marriage to Michael Kokesh II. on January 16, 1952 in Dante. She shared her anniversary date with her parents and her grandparents, Mr and Mrs John Swatek. They started their married life farming north of Tyndall. After a few years they moved to farm south of Wagner. While helping Mike on the farm and raising their family, Florence also worked as secretary in her younger years at the Commercial State Bank in Wagner and the Wagner Clinic. She also worked as a teacher's aide and as a janitor at the Wagner School. They retired and moved into Wagner in 1982. She then worked at the Good Samaritan Center as a cook and later had an in home daycare.

Her church and faith was very important to her. She was a faithful member of St. John's Catholic Church, Catholic Workmen, and the Altar Society.

Florence will be remembered for her love of farming, gardening, cooking, sewing, crocheting, quilting, music, and fishing. She also enjoyed watching baseball and was a Chicago Cubs fan.

Thankful for having shared her life are her children: Connie (John) Dusek of Rapid City, Karen J. Lich of Rapid City, Ronald (Christine) Kokesh of Wagner, Mike (Jan) Kokesh III of Wagner, and Lori (Bryan) Iverson of Rapid City; son-in-law Russell (Julie) Rasmussen of Ponca, NE; 14 grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren; a sister, Betty Broz of Beebe, AR; and many nieces and nephews.

Florence was preceded in death by her husband Mike on October 20, 2004; daughter, Katherine Rasmussen on October 25, 2000; two granddaughters: Rachel and Becky Kokesh; her parents; two brothers: Ernest and Raymond Kostel; and a sister, Irene Cuka.