Bennie Koen

Benedicta "Bennie" Koen, age 86, of West, passed away late Friday evening, October 25, 2013 at Regent Care Center in Waco. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church of the Assumption, with Rev. Boniface Onjefu as celebrant. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday at Aderhold Funeral Home in West. Bennie was born August 19, 1927 in Tokio, the daughter of Ignacius and Anne (Sulak) Hutyra. She attended Tokio schools. On November 17, 1959 she was united in marriage to Lloyd M. "Koko" Koen in Waco. Koko preceded her in death on December 26, 2011. Bennie worked as a cabinet maker of Fleetwood Mobile Homes in Waco for 15 years before retiring in 1991. She was a longtime member of St. Mary's Catholic Church of the Assumption in West. She was also a member of the Catholic Daughter of America court #829 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #4819 Ladies Auxiliary. She enjoyed polka music, drinking pivo, going to all the church picnics and taking care of her dogs. Bennie is also preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Patrick Hutyra and Walter Hutyra; four sisters, Bridgette Wrbas, Angela Kelinske, Margie Cocek, and her twin, Bernice Lichnovsky. Survivors include a daughter, Susan Geary and husband Mark of Austin; a brother, Ignacius Hutyra Jr. and wife Rosalie; two sisters, Evelyn Wilson and Josephine Kocian; and many other relatives and friends. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the West Rest Haven Disaster Relief Fund.