Annette M. Kockler

A funeral Mass will be held on Thursday at 10:30 AM at St. John's Catholic Church, Bancroft. Burial will be in St. John's Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 PM on Wednesday at Oakcrest Funeral Services of Bancroft with a rosary beginning at 4 PM and a Scripture Prayer Service beginning at 7 PM. Annette M. Kockler, born December 3, 1933, daughter of Jake and Alice (Phillips) Becker, on the same farm place as her father. She attended St. Joseph Catholic School until her family moved to their farm west of Bancroft, where she graduated from St. John's Catholic High School in 1950. She then obtained her teaching certificate in Estherville, and taught elementary school at Ledyard and then at Bancroft Public School. Meeting George Kockler during this time, they dated for several months, became engaged (then purchasing the current home south of the Convent), and married in June of 1957. It was of this union that Kathryn, Jeanne, Susanne, Thomas, Carol, and Anthony became the center of Annette's life, staying at home to take care of her family (although she later worked outside the home at Head Start, Elsbecker Construction, and Welp's Pharmacy). Annette was...[more]

View Full Online Obituary and Tributes

ways busy with her hands, not only by providing for her family with sewing her children's clothes, cooking awesome fried chicken, or cultivating a family garden; but also with creating gifts like needlepoint crafts, paintings of natural scenes and homemade Halloween, Easter, and Thanksgiving cards (always with a Christian theme, exemplifying and teaching her "mustard seed-sized faith) for her grandchildren; these youngsters were all literally the "apple of her eye". Annette Kockler died Tuesday, November 14, 2017, surrounded by her children under the care of Hospice of the Heartland. She was 83. Left to cherish her memory are her six children, daughter Kathryn Studer and husband Daniel of Titonka and their children Danielle and Shane Hill (Timothy and Emily), Amie Studer (Jerrit and Gracie), David and Megan Studer, (Jack), Katie and James Prothman, Alyssa and Steven Berkland, Krista and Cameron Giddings, (George and newborn, Henry) and Anne Studer; daughter Jeanne Rippentrop and husband Brian of Woden and their children Anthony and Christopher; daughter Susanne Wesselmann and husband Jim of Remsen and their children Jason (fiancé Amanda Mancuso), Sara (Danny) Harpenau, Michael, Matthew (special friend, Lyndsie Schorg), and Jacob Wesselmann; son Tom Kockler and wife Sheila of Remsen and their children Holly (fiancé Chris Lensing), Tanner (special friend Margo), and Joe Kockler; daughter Carol Lowe and husband Jeff of Bellevue, NE, and their children, Brian (special friend Mandy Rose), Lauren (fiancé Jared Devore), and Marissa & Kaiden Lowe; and son Tony Kockler and wife Ann of Clear Lake and their children Amanda (Josh Reuter), Andy, Jacob and Jared Kockler. She is also survived by a sister, Ruth Ann (Eugene) Elsbecker and all her family members; and sister-in-law Jackie Becker and her family as well. Preceding Annette in death was her husband, George on June 3, 2011; her parents Alice and James Becker; brother, Marvin Becker; and two angels lost in pregnancy.