Robert "Bob" Koetter

Robert “Bob” Koetter, 81-year-old resident of Swanville, MN passed away Friday, February 20, 2026 at the St. Cloud VA Hospital. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Swanville with Father Arlie Sowada officiating. Burial will take place in the Parish Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 P.M. on Friday and 10 to 11 A.M. on Saturday, all at St. John’s Catholic Church in Swanville. Military Rites will be conducted by the Swanville American Legion Post #313 and the Swanville VFW Post #6037. Caring for Bob and his family is the LeMieur Funeral Home in Little Falls, MN. Robert “Bob” Koetter, was born on December 22, 1944, to the late Norbert and Dorothy Koetter. He 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 on 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, brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Bob is survived by his children, Bill (Julie), Jerome (Dawn), David (Ann), Sandra (Brian), Paul (Kathy), and Amanda (Adam); siblings, Delores, Lorraine (Jerry), Jim (Nancy), Steve (Kathy). He was a proud grandfather to Desiree, Dustin, Jill, Travis, Stephanie, Ellie, Matt, Ryan, Tanner, Jamison, Kaleb, Sammy, Eric, RaeAnn, Gavin, Madalin, Alice, and Landon; and great-grandfather to Kayleigh, Silas, Lilly, Stella, 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); brother-in-law, Fred, 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.

Tributes

Robert "Bob" Koetter

December 22, 1944 - February 20, 2026