Martha Proescholdt

 

Martha Proescholdt, 79, died peacefully, December 31, 2021, at the home of her son and daughter-in-law in Ruckersville, VA.

Martha was born in Whitehall, July 24, 1942, to Harold and Irene Florence (née Back) Wood. Most people knew her as “Kip” or “Kippy,” a name she inherited from her great aunt, Kippy Wood, who died in the diphtheria epidemic that ravaged Whitehall in 1876.

In 1960, Kip graduated from Whitehall High School where she played in the band, sang in the choir, and was a drum majorette. Having been allowed to comb her grandfather’s hair from the time she was little, and realizing that she loved doing that, she pursued a career in cosmetology and attended school in Milwaukee. After graduation, she returned home to Whitehall where she worked in several beauty parlors until she married Dr. Simon Kowahl, DVM, in 1963. They settled in Independence where Kip owned and operated her own beauty parlor “Kip’s Coiffeurs” until Sam’s death in 1998. Kip made friends easily and she found new ones when she moved to River Falls to be close to her brother. One new friend found in River Falls was Paul Proescholdt, whom she married in 2001. They settled in Mesa, AZ, and had a wonderful life together. Kip was an avid golfer and enjoyed sewing and quilting.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Vaughn and Terri Kowahl; their children: Paige, Kevin and Jadyn; her brother and sister-in-law, Dave and Ruth Wood; sister-in-law, Celina Kopp; Kopp’s children and grandchildren; cousins: Paul Back, Sue Krueger, and Nancy Stuempges; step-children: Ann Shaw and her husband Curt; Carl Proescholdt and his wife Katie; Mary Halada and her husband Tom; Marty Larson and her husband Rhys. In addition, Kip made and kept countless friends over the years who enriched her life.

Kip was preceded in death by her by father and mother; stepmother, Edna Johnson; stepbrother, Douglas Kopp; two sons: Patrick and Kelly and her husbands.

Kip’s remains will be laid to rest in Independence, Wisconsin, at a later date.

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