KOLETTE EKEN

Kolette “Koko” Lynn Eken, of Cold Spring, passed into the loving arms of Jesus on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at her home. She was 75 years old.

Kolette, lovingly known as Koko, was born on September 16, 1949, in Red Wing, Minnesota to parents Sven and Dorothy (Rothgarn) Johnson.  At age 2, the family moved to Clarkfield, Minnesota where Koko attended school, graduating from Clarkfield High School in 1967.  She went on to Willmar Vocational school, where she studied bookkeeping.

On June 18, 1969, Kolette was united in marriage to Rodney J. Eken at the Henriette Free Methodist Church.  They made their home in the Sherburne County area where they raised their three children.  Koko worked at the Guardian Angels nursing home in Elk River as a housekeeper.  A truly dedicated employee, in 15 years of work she only missed a half day of work due to the big Halloween blizzard of 1991, when most people would have stayed home, she always showed up.

Koko and Rod retired to the Kimball area but enjoyed traveling during the winter months to California and Arizona to visit family and friends.  Eventually, they moved to a senior town home in Cold Spring.

Koko enjoyed tending to her flower gardens and mowing the lawn, but only with the push mower. She was an avid bowler and enjoyed roller skating in her younger years. Koko didn’t fish but loved boat rides in the summer. She was always baking her goodies and sharing with everyone. She was a devoted grandma and loved caring for all her grandchildren. Most important was her faith and love in the Lord. An active member in the Evangelical Free and Baptist churches over the years, she loved singing and tending to the children in the nursery. You could tell she was looking forward to seeing Heaven with her own eyes.  She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.

She was preceded in death by her parents and sister Kimit (Eldon) Lawrence.

She is survived by her loving husband of 56 years, Rodney “Rod” Eken; children, Jovita (Todd) Lachelt, Jawanda (Steve) Soyring, and Jason Eken; grandchildren, Alyssa, Kyle, Steven, Ethan, Erika, Eryn, Everett, Emma, Annika, and Eliza; great grandson Talon; brother Kalen (Karen) Johnson; brother-in-law James (Gloria) McKenzie; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. 

A Funeral Service will be held at 11:30 am on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at the Hamilton Funeral Homes – Akkerman Chapel in Mora with Pastor Mark Tewes officiating.

Visitation will be held 1 hour prior to the service, beginning at 10:30 am.  

Interment will be in the Oakwood Cemetery in Mora.

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