Robert "Bob" Koetter

Robert "Bob" Koetter, born December 22, 1944, to Norbert and Dorothy Koetter, passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of his family on February 20, 2026 at the St. Cloud VA.

Bob attended country school before graduating from Little Falls High School in 1963. Shortly after, he joined the United States Army and was drafted to serve during the Vietnam War, where he served as a cook, and was honorably discharged August 24 1973..

In 1966, Bob met the love of his life, Frances Kimman, at the Little Falls Ballroom. They were united in marriage in 1967 and built a beautiful life together, raising six children. Their marriage was rooted in faith, hard work, laughter, and deep devotion to family and community.

Bob held several jobs throughout his life. Early in his career, he drove a milk truck and later worked for Von's Supply for about 12 years, sharing many memorable stories from his delivery routes. One of his proudest accomplishments was purchasing the grocery store in Swanville with Fran-Bob and Fran's Grocery-which became a beloved staple of the community. The store was far more than a business to Bob; it was his gathering place. The coffee pot was always on, treats were always available, and there was always time for conversation. He took great pride in writing the store's flyer himself, pecking away with his two pointer fingers, filling it with jokes, stories, and the occasional grammatical error that customers came to love.

Bob enjoyed fishing and hunting throughout his life. He especially loved playing cards with just about anyone willing to sit down at the table-and he was never shy about collecting his winnings. He was deeply devoted to his Catholic faith, his church in Swanville, and his community. Bob was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, American Legion, Lions Club, VFW, and the Swanville Sportsmen Club.

Above all, Bob was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He is survived by his children: Bill (Julie), Jerome, David (Ann), Sandra (Brian), Paul (Kathy), and Amanda (Adam).

He was a proud grandfather to Desiree, Dustin, Travis, Stephanie, Ellie, Matt, Ryan, Tanner, Jamison, Kaleb, Sammy, Eric, RaeAnn, Gavin, Madalin, Alice, and Landon; and great-grandfather to Kayleigh, Silas, Benjamin, Ripken, Huxx, and two more great-grandchildren on the way.

Bob was known not only as Grandpa to his own family, but as "the town grandpa" to many children who stopped by his house, visited often, or simply found a welcoming place at his table. He lived his life with his door open to everyone.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife Frances, his brother Gerald (Rita), and his daughter-in-law Rebecca.

Bob's legacy of faith, generosity, humor, and community spirit will live on in the countless lives he touched. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.