Mary Elizabeth Koelzer

Mary Elizabeth (Wessel) Koelzer, 83, of Seneca, Kansas, passed away surrounded by her loving family on May 20, 2025, at Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca, Kansas.

Mary was born on October 27, 1941, in Kelly, Kansas, to Henry and Mary C. (Osterhaus) Wessel. She attended school at Kelly until her sophomore year, when the family moved to Seneca. She graduated from Saints Peter and Paul High School in 1959.

When Mary was 14, she met Keith Koelzer, 17, at a dance in Seneca. It was the beginning of a lifelong love story. The couple married on June 14, 1960, at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca. They made their home at 101 Main in Seneca and welcomed their son, Dennis, and their daughter, Teena. In 1967, the family moved to a farm east of Seneca. Soon, the family grew to include a second daughter, Tamara, and a second son, Scott. The family stayed on the farm until June 1980, when Keith and Mary purchased the Seneca Motel. The family lived at the motel, which they operated until 1986. Shortly after that, the family moved to their current home in Seneca.

Mary was a farm wife and worked other jobs, including waiting tables, operating the motel, and working with residents at the Nemaha County Training Center Group Home. In 1987, she started working for the Nemaha Valley school district. She loved working with the students and her coworkers. Mary worked for the school district for 30 years until her retirement in 2017.

Mary loved working at these jobs, but her proudest achievements were as a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Mary was an avid reader and enjoyed many crafts. She was an incredible cook, and her family reaped the rewards of her many culinary gifts. Her homemade bread and cinnamon rolls were amazing. Mary was a faithful Catholic and a member of Saints Peter and Paul Church and the Altar Society until her death.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her granddaughter, Jessica Koelzer, in 1997; and her son-in-law, Kenneth Crevier, in 2018.

Mary is survived by her loving husband, Keith, of the home; her children, Dennis (Deborah) Koelzer of St. Benedict, Kansas, Teena Crevier (Greg Enneking) of Seneca, Tamara (Shawn) Nocks of Seneca, and Scott (Donette) Koelzer of Murray, Nebraska; her 13 grandchildren; and her six great-grandchildren.

Mary had a beautiful, full, and well-lived life. Her love, joy, and laughter will never be forgotten.

A registry book will be available at the Popkess Memorial Chapel in Seneca on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. A rosary will be prayed on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at Popkess Memorial Chapel. A memorial Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca. Inurnment will be in the Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery in Seneca. Memorial contributions are suggested to a fund yet to be designated by the family and sent in care of Popkess Memorial Chapel, 814 Castle Street, Seneca, Kansas 66538.