Joseph Andrew Koenig

Joseph Andrew Koenig, Sr., 77, former resident of Swanville, passed away peacefully at his home in Little Falls on Thursday, October 18, 2018. Joe will be remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather.
Joe was born on February 22, 1941 in Swanville, MN to Charles and Bessie Koenig. He attended Swanville High School and graduated in 1959.
On August 20, 1960, Joe was united in marriage to Diane Newman at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Swanville. Back when they were first dating, Joe and Diane loved to frequent local ballrooms with their friends and would later revisit those fond memories when taking ballroom dancing lessons. Their children were always delighted when “The Man in Black” and “The Lady in Red” joined them on the dance floor and shared their fancy footwork. In August 2010, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
Joe’s early years were spent learning mechanical skills from his father and then refining those skills on various bikes, cars, and snowmobiles. “Pinky”, as he was known to his friends, loved racing stock cars and snowmobiles, accumulating many wins and trophies over the years. Joe raced ThunderJet snowmobiles in the early 70’s and was very proud to be sponsored by Alexandria Boat Works and Hammerbeck’s.
Known for his friendly smile and willingness to help others, Joe was trusted as an expert mechanic by generations of families in Central Minnesota. While still in school, he began his career as an auto mechanic at Loven’s Service and was employed there for 17 years. Like his father, Charlie, Joe loved his work as a mechanic and enjoyed passing his knowledge and work ethic down to his children. In October 1974, Joe and Diane purchased the Conoco service station in Swanville. They expanded the building twice and then added on a convenience store in 1991. When they retired in September 2004, Joe and Diane had worked together there for almost 30 years with their children working alongside of them for many of those years.
A devoted and generous member of his community, Joe was proud to be a long-time member of the Swanville Lion’s Club. He maintained perfect attendance from 1964 to 1989 and looked forward to his shifts cooking BBQ chicken at their annual Mid-Summer Carnival. He was also an active member of the Swanville Volunteer Fire Department, serving from 1962 to 1990.
Joe married Lori Clemens on March 8, 2014. They moved to Milaca, where he enjoyed working outdoors in the garden and helping out neighbors with mechanical repairs. Joe and Lori often joined friends in Little Falls for Texas Hold ‘Em tourneys. Joe and Lori moved to Little Falls in July 2018.
Joe is survived by his wife, Lori; daughters, June (Mike) Weeks; Becky (Scott) Hillig; Sharon (Jeff) Almeida; son, Joe Koenig, Jr.; grandchildren, Nikolas (Dallas) Weeks, Luke Weeks, Paige (Nathan) Engels, Kate (Kyle) Bodle; and four great grandchildren; sister, Mary Madden; step-daughter, Jessica (Chad) Miller; step-grandsons, Wyatt and Colton; as well as many nieces, nephews, close relatives, and beloved friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife Diane (2012); parents, Charles (1972) and Bessie (2000); siblings, Darvin (2018), Jeanette (2010), Betty Lou (1932); and infant sons Joseph Alan (1962) and John Joseph (1964).
A celebration of Joe’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 9, 2018 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 208 Broadway West, Little Falls, MN. Visitation will be held one hour before the service. Friends may call at the church from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 8, with parish prayers and a time of remembrance at 7 p.m. His family invites you to join them for fellowship at Our Lady of Lourdes following the Friday morning service.
Joe’s final resting place will be at Springbrook Cemetery in Swanville, MN. A private interment will be held at a later date.