Vernetta A. Koch

Vernetta A. Koch was born in Cudahy, WI, to Emil A. and Marie Morrow Roepke on February 24, 1932. She passed peacefully on September 15, 2025, at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah, WI, after a brief illness. On December 1, 1951, Vernetta was united in marriage to Joseph G. Koch in Milwaukee, WI.
Netta's lifelong passion was tennis. You could find her on the court well into her eighties, and she was fortunate enough to attend major tennis tournaments around the world! Netta was a subscriber to National Geographic since the 1960s, and she shared her curiosity for the world with everyone she met.
She is survived by her son, Kevin; daughter, Kathy Richards (Mike Rietveld); grandchildren, Simon Koch (Valeska), Michael Richards (Emily Pounding), Sarah Koch (Praveen Kathpal), Jason Richards (Jess) and Nathan Koch (Anna Edelman); great-grandchildren, Milan, Kiran, Rosalind, Helen, Fritz and baby Richards due January 2026; sister, Eunice "Dollie" McTavish; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Vernetta was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Joseph; son-in-law, Robert Richards; daughters-in-law; Jill Koch and Debra Koch; and five siblings.
Private family services will be held at a later date, with Rev. Rob Schrader at St. John Lutheran Church, Berlin, WI, officiating. Inurnment will be in Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee, WI. Special thanks for the care she received from ThedaCare Hospitals and Hospice and the staff at Dimensions Living in Appleton, WI. Arrangements have been entrusted to Barbola Funeral Chapel in Berlin. Anyone wishing to send a sympathy card to the family, please mail to Vernetta Koch, c/o Barbola Funeral Chapel, PO Box 201, Berlin, WI 54923.