Paul Woodward Koehler

  Research Notes:

On 13 May 2021, I began looking for information regarding the death of Paul Woodward Koehler (b 1923 in Nicollet Co, MN) who was married to Donna Mae Wicker (b 1928]. I searched on Ancestry "Paul Koehler, b 1923, Nicollet, MN" and 8 Family Trees (FTs) were noted. LPetersenDCahlbergFT [Laurel Dahlberg] and MyFamilyFT [jmulkins] are 2 of the FTs; there are 3 others with the same information.

These FTs record Paul Koehler was born in 1924 and died 11 Apr 1954 in Sherburne Co, MN. This date of death is likely from the MNHS people search; however, this death certificate does not record a birth date or a mother's maiden name.

With a general google search, using the name "Paul Koehler" and "died 1954 in Sherburne Co, MN " there is a hit to a findagrave post (id 79753145). This records death as 11 Apr 1954, but birth as 1880. Obviously this can't be the same Paul Woodward Koehler whose birth is noted on the MNHS people search and recorded for 9 Apr 1923 in Nicollet Co, MN and mother's maiden name as "Stute". The above FTs note that Paul's parents were Herman Edward Koehler (1879-1968) and Lillian Alvina Stute (1887-1963) and that Paul was married to Donna Mae Wicker (1928-1966) and record information on her 2 marriages, but do not give any further information on Paul W Koehler.

As I indicated I had not found a date of death using the FTs connected to his wife, Donna Mae Wicker.
There was not a record on MNHS people search for Paul W Koehler and I couldn't find any mention of him using 'newspapers.com', Minnesota. And so, I did a general google search, "Paul Woodward Koehler born in 1923 in MN", and I received a hit for a very brief obit on the website "ObitTree.com" - this noted that he died on 15 Sep 2012 at age 89 at Hillsboro, OR, and that he was born at St Peter, MN [Nicollet Co] to Herman and Lillian Koehler. This website directed to a funeral home but the link does give any further information. And I did not get any information on 'newspapers.com', Oregon. But I did find a link on findagrave.com (id 97340610) with the above information - it also linked to the funeral home.

And then I found another FT on Ancestry, Kohl FT [Tamara Fraser] that records the above death of Paul W Koehler of 15 Sep 2012, but this FT does not link to his spouse, children, or any other information, but names his parents and links to their death/burial on findagrave. Using additional clues from Ancestry, there are records for the 1930 and 1940 US Census and an US Army Enlistment record.

Unfortunately there does not seem to be a lot of information or records for Oregon on either Ancestry or Familysearch, at least from the after the 1950s.

At this point I do not know whether he had remarried. Donna Mae Wicker and he must have divorced but I don't have any record (She had remarried in 1959, and we know of her 2 children with Paul Koehler.

He was buried at Dallas, Polk Co, OR - about 20 kms west of Salem and about 100 kms south of Hillsboro.
It is not clear if he had children here ????

Paul married Donna Mae Wicker, daughter of Benjamin Timothy Wicker and Esther Florence Dahlen, on 20 Dec 1947 in Hennepin Co, Minnesota, United States. (Donna Mae Wicker was born on 3 Jun 1928 in Wright Co, Minnesota, United States, died on 31 Jul 1966 in Hennepin Co, Minnesota, United States and was buried in Mound Cemetery, Hennepin Co, Minnesota, United States.)