Judy Koland

Mary Judith ‘Judy’ Templeman was born on July 8, 1935, to Milo William and Marion Julia (Galpin) Templeman in Muscatine, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal faith.  Judy attended Muscatine Grade School and graduated in 1953 from the Muscatine High School. She went on to the University of Iowa where she earned a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Music.  She married Clyde Johnson and they had four children. 

In earlier years, Judy was busy raising four boys, much of it on her own.  She was courageous enough to take them all shopping until things got too crazy and they had to take turns.  On Sunday mornings, they would make the 30-mile trip to the Christ Episcopal Church in Benson; this was after she got all of the boys up, dressed, fed, and loaded in the car.  In addition, she and the boys had to make it through the service, with minimal fidgeting, and then back home.  She managed to keep her sanity AND got all four of them through confirmation!

Once the four boys were safely in school, Judy started her professional career.  She spent several years as an elementary music teacher, worked as an optometric assistant in the office of Dr. John Watzke, and served as news director at the local radio station for several years.  She also served a term as a city council member in Morris.  After leaving Morris, she continued her education in Special Education and worked many years as a special ed paraprofessional.

 She welcomed all into her home, especially the boys’ friends, treating all of them like her own, if not better.  When her son, Jon, was single, she would continue to do his laundry and keep him well fed on his Sunday visits; after his marriage, those visits turned into phone calls, at 1pm, unless a church function delayed them, during those phone calls, a lot of laughs and some tears were shed.  She was a devoted mother, and worked tirelessly to make sure her boys were loved and taken care of. 

On July 31, 1981, Judy and Lennerd ‘Laddie’ Koland were united in marriage at the Isanti County Court House in Cambridge, Minnesota. She welcomed Laddie’s children, and eventually their children into her life.  Judy was an active member of the Episcopal Church.  Her faith was very important to her and passed that down through the generations.  She was a current member of the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Christiansburg, Virginia.  Judy loved to golf; while in Morris, she was a member of the Pomme de Terre Golf Course and enjoyed playing on summer days with her group of friends on Ladies’ Day.  Wherever she and Laddie moved to, they found a course to play on, and were especially fond of The Hill course in Christiansburg.  In addition to golf, Judy was very adept at playing cards. She was an active member of a bridge club in her early married years.  Once Laddie and Judy moved out of Minnesota, Judy looked forward to the cribbage tournaments with Jeff and Anne on Long Lake. She would plan her annual trips in July, and would spend her birthday with her ‘Birthday Buddy,’ Renee.  Music was a big part of Judy’s life.  She was a huge opera fan, listening to the Metropolitan Opera every available Saturday afternoon.  She left this world with opera playing in her room and her family by her side.

Judy died on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at The Legacy in Morris, Minnesota. She was 88 years old.

Judy is survived by her husband Laddie Koland; her sons: Jeff (Anne) Johnson of Detroit Lakes, Joe (Sandie) Johnson of Monticello, Jon (Renee) Johnson of Grasston, and Matt (Amanda) Johnson of Morris; 12 grandchildren: Nick (Shae) Johnson, Steve (Nellie) Johnson, Kyle Anderson, Tricia (Steven) Murphy, Joshua (Megan Peterson) Johnson, Rachel Johnson, Jessica Steffen, Mark (Becky) Steffen, Madelaine Johnson, MacKenzie (Sean) Hammer, Jacob Johnson, and Jaret (Gwen Hanson) Johnson; nine great-grandchildren: Clyde Johnson, Tiger Ann Johnson, Lucie Jonson, Clara Peterson, Oberon Steffen, Raven Steffen, Ellie Hammer, Max Hammer, and Luke Hammer; two children by marriage: Lisa (Dave) Ault, and Paul (Shelly) Koland; and four grandchildren by marriage: George Perpich, Anna Ault, Erik Ault, and Andy Ault.

She is preceded in death by her parents: Milo and Marion Templeman, stepmother Ozelle Templeman; and one sister, Nancy Vetter.

Pedersen Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements for Judy.