Francis Kay Cohrs

Francis Kay Cohrs was born on November 29, 1933, in Slayton, Minnesota. He was the son of Clarence and Ruth (Norstegard) Cohrs. Francis was baptized as an infant and later confirmed on March 21, 1948, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Dovray, Minnesota. He attended public school, graduating in 1951, and then farmed with his father until he joined the United States Marine Corps in 1953. 

Francis served his country honorably for 18 months while stationed in Japan and upon his discharge, he returned home to work construction for a year. Francis built a service station in Westbrook which he owned and managed until 1965. He then began selling life insurance and also bought school buses in Westbrook where he owned and operated a local service, proud to drive for over 50 years. Francis sold DeKalb seed corn until 1975 when he bought the Ready Oil Company and owned and operated it along with the Amoco service station for many years in Westbrook.

On July 6, 1957, Francis was united in marriage to Beverly Schweim in Westbrook. The couple made their home there for 58 years and raised five children. They moved to Marshall in 2016 and most recently resided at Boulder Estates for the past year. They shared over 66 years of marriage together.

Francis was a faithful member of Living Word Lutheran Church where he was active in the Young at Heart group and several Bible studies. He was a longtime member of the Westbrook VFW and American Legion. Throughout the years, Francis was able to participate in 3 mission trips to Mexico. His other enjoyments in life included hunting, fishing, golfing, traveling, woodworking, making sure his shop was in order, and caring for his dogs. Francis loved spending time with family, built a cabin that was enjoyed by those close to him, and he was a loyal friend to many.

Francis Cohrs died on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, in Westbrook, Minnesota. He had reached the age of 89 years, 11 months, and 9 days. Blessed be his memory.

He is survived by his loving wife, Beverly Cohrs of Marshall; 5 children, Sheryl (and Gordon) Kopperud of Westbrook, Percy (and Konnie) Cohrs of Cocoa Beach, FL, Thomas Cohrs of Minneapolis, Alison (and Jim) Marshall of Marshall, Sarah (and Mark) Smith of Ham Lake; 11 grandchildren, Andrew (and Krista), Matthew (and Dawn), Joanna (and Lynn), Rebekah (and Joe), Emily (and Justin), Brittany (and Danny), Isaac, Sam, Julia (and Brady), Kate (and Cade), Roman; 18 great grandchildren; nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends.

Francis was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Ruth Cohrs; sister, Elaine (and Nick) Swart; brother, Donald (and Doris) Cohrs; and other close family members.

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