Florence Coyle

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Florence Coyle, 91, of Miller and formerly of Polo, passed away Sunday, April 30, 2017 at the Good Samaritan Society in Miller.

Funeral Mass was held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, May 5, 2017 at St. Liborius Catholic Church, Polo with Father Christopher Hughes and Father Chester Murtha, celebrants. Burial followed at Mount Calvary Cemetery, Polo. A prayer service and rosary began at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 4, 2017 at the church.

Florence (Gaspar) Coyle was born February 14, 1926, to Joseph “Bert” and Anna (Wieseler) Gasper, on the family farm in Howell Township, in northern Hand Country. She was the eighth of ten children. She attended rural school in Howell and Polo. In 1938, the family moved to a farm near Dell Rapids, SD. Florence attended school in Huntimer and Chester.

On February 4, 1948 she married Joe Coyle of Timber Lake, SD at Saint Joseph, The Workmen Catholic Church, Huntimer, SD. They made their home on her parents’ homestead in Howell Township, where they farmed and raised their children. In 1952, Florence and Joe warmly welcomed foster children: Patti, Joan, Gerald, Connie, and Pam Coyle into their lives. They later adopted infants, James Joseph, in 1963, and Anthony Patrick, in 1966. After Joe passed away on November 16, 1991, Florence remained on the farm with Anthony until 1996 when she moved to Miller.

Florence was a member of Saint Liborius Church in Polo and later Saint Ann’s in Miller. She was a member of Christian Mothers, Catholic Daughters, Park Township Club, and the Miller Red Hat Society. For a time, she worked in the Polo school lunchroom.

Over the years she welcomed many a baby animal into her house. She especially loved baby calves, piglets and chicks. She raised turkeys to sell, and faithfully helped Joe on the farm. In her (free) farm wife time, she enjoyed her garden, flowers, canning, sewing, quilting and making wedding and other special (happy cakes) cakes. She also enjoyed painting pictures of nature on canvas, rock and iron. She always welcomed guests into her home.

As a young woman she spent time helping her older sister Mary with her young family. When her sister, Nettie Huwe, passed away Florence also welcomed and cared for her children whenever possible. It made for a busy but very loving home. She never turned down an opportunity to care for a child.

Although Florence and Joe never had a biological child, through adoption, fostering and caring for others they built a wonderful family. She cherished and loved each child, grandchild, niece, nephew and neighboring child as her own.

Grateful for having shared in her life are her children; James (Marita) Coyle of Miller and Anthony (Delila) Coyle of Polo; grandchildren: Jennifer (Kirk) Phinney, Rachel Heezen (Chris Bahle), Sean Coyle (Sarina), Josh Manning, Paton, Landon, and Jessie Mae Coyle; foster children: Patti Johnson, Joan Wieseler, Gerald (Ninfa) Coyle, Connie (Dale) Sorenson, and Pam (Ken) Venjohn; siblings: Magdalen Siemonsma, Leona Hawking and Harry Gaspar; numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and godchildren

Welcoming her into heaven, was her husband, Joe; parents Joseph and Anna; siblings: Raymond, Leo, Isadore, Michael, Mary Konz, and Renata Huwe; grandson-in-law, Dustin Heezen.

In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials to Mount Calvary Cemetery Fund in Polo.

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Florence’s arrangements.