Inez Marie Koeniger

Inez Marie Koeniger, 69, died of cancer, Feb. 26 peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 323 N. Alaska St., in Palmer.

Inez was born July 25, 1939 in Bismarck, N.D. An eldest of six children, she was looked up to by all her siblings. She never thought of herself as a role model and yet she was all her life.

She lived and started her family on a small farm in Balsam Lake, Wis. She lived in Minnesota where she raised her fa mily. She and her husband, Eugene A. Raska Sr. moved to Salem, Ore., in 1977. In 1981 her family moved to Anchorage. She drove school bus, worked for the Salvation Army and Carrs bakery. Her final career being 14 years as a Cake Decorator for Costco #10 in Anchorage. Her husband of 42 years died in 1998. She remarried in 2003 and moved to Palmer. She retired from work in 2004. She devoted her retired years to her family, her church, VFW Post #9785, and cancer functions. Inez loved life, family and friends, she honestly showed this and people were drawn to her because of it. She would be the first person to step up and volunteer to do any task she saw needed doing.

Her hobbies included knitting, baking, crossword puzzles, movies, Wii gaming, exercising, dancing, the occasional vacation Outside and loved a good joke.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Eugene A. Raska Sr., sister, Shirley J. Anderson and friend, Judy Johnson.

She is survived by her second husband Stephen Koeniger of Palmer, children, Eugene A. Raska, Jr., of Kenai, Lori L. Angstman of Anchorage, Brenda L. Barjheron of Peters Creek, Timothy W. Raska of Palmer, Mark A. Raska of Wasilla, Shannon E. Thomas of Palmer, 22 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, sisters, Sharon M. Pyles of Palmer, Trudy A. Wandersee, of Wilmar, Minn., Linda K. Morgan of Anchorage, and brother, Darrell Morgan of Atlanta.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations can be sent to St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church of Palmer in memory of Inez Koeniger.

Arrangements are with Kehl’s Palmer Mortuary.