Catherine Koplen

Catherine (Petra) Oftedahl Koplen, age 94 of Mankato, MN and formerly of Pemberton, MN, died Friday, August 30, 2013 at her home, the Sterling House of Mankato.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the Medo Evangelical Lutheran Church in Medo Township, Blue Earth County, with the Rev. Laurie Stoeger, officiating. Interment will be held in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be held at the Arnoldt-McRaith Funeral Home & Crematory in Janesville on Tuesday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. and will continue at the church on Wednesday for one hour prior to services.

Catherine (Petra) was born on Aug. 23, 1919 in Medo Township, Blue Earth County to Gerhardt and Bertina (Quam) Oftedahl of Pemberton, MN. She attended Pemberton High School and graduated with the class of 1937. She was united in marriage to Wallace Cyrl Koplen on Feb. 19, 1941 at Medo Evangelical Lutheran Church. She farmed with her husband Wallace south of Alma City until 1966. They lived in Pemberton a short time before moving to Mankato in 1968. Catherine worked at various businesses in Mankato over the years. She loved to do crafts, sewing and gardening. She was a member of Christ The King Church in Mankato and a former member of the Medo Evangelical Lutheran Church.

She is survived by her son, Dale (Barb) Koplen of Pemberton, MN; by two grandchildren, Lisa (Dan) Hanzlick of Shawnee, KS and Brian (Jill) Koplen of New Prague, MN; by four great grandchildren, Ashley and Dylan Hanzlick and Olivia and Katelyn Koplen; by one sister, Joan Bruels of North Mankato, MN; by one brother-in-law, Glen (Delsie) Koplen of Pemberton, MN: by two sisters-in-law, Betty Bjornson of Mankato, MN and Lois Cahill of St. Paul, MN and by many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Wallace in 2004, two sisters, Agatha Bollman and Charlotte Blank and by three brothers, Herbert, Edison and Gordon Oftedahl.