SUBLETTE - John William Koehn, 82, of Sublette, Kansas, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at St. Catherine’s Hospital. John dedicated his life to the rich soil of his family farm. He was a man of quiet strength, his hands always busy, whether tending his fields or sharing stories at morning coffee, embodying the true spirit of a lifelong farmer.

Born on March 13, 1943 in rural Canton, Kansas to Jonas E. Koehn and Sophie (Giesel) Koehn, John was one of eight children. When John was just a baby, the family relocated to Sublette, Kansas, where he would grow up grounded in faith, family, and community. It was in the church nursery, as children, where John first met the love of his life, Valetta Nichols, and they were later united in marriage on July 29, 1962. John and Valetta celebrated 63 years of marriage before his passing.

John was close with all of his siblings and deeply valued those lifelong bonds. He was especially close with his brother Andy, the two being only a year apart in age, sharing a connection built on family, hard work, and a lifetime of shared experiences. Back in the early 60’s, John and Andy, bought a 5010 John Deere and a Hancock scraper. They were very poor people back in the day. John would run during the day and Andy would run during the night, the machine ran 24 hours a day, many times leveling land for the title.

John was a man of few words, but his actions spoke volumes. John was a founding member of the Faith Mennonite Church now known as Gospel Fellowship Church in Montezuma, Kansas where he faithfully attended service every Sunday. He fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning and operating a farm, a place that reflected his dedication to hard work and the land. He was previously a 50% owner of a beef by-products plant in Lamar, Colorado, and he took great pride in his professional accomplishments. He was always eager to learn and pursue new challenges. One of his pride and joys was flying after obtaining his pilot’s license. Above all else, his grandchildren and grand dogs were the light of his life, bringing him immense joy and purpose. He was dedicated to attending and supporting their sporting events and activities, never missing an opportunity to cheer them on.

He is survived by his wife, Valetta, of the home; his son, Wendall Koehn (Shanna) of Shawnee, Kansas; grandson, Max Koehn (Kat) of Colorado Springs, Colorado; granddaughters, Shambre Breithaupt (Shelton) of Wellsville, Kansas and Shaycin Burt (Joe) of Bedford, Indiana; bonus grandchildren, Lindsey Coulter (Andrew) of Lenexa, Kansas and Brayson Christopher (Maria) of Lawrence, Kansas. He was a wonderful great-grandfather to Graycin, Gyntrie, and Graham Breithaupt and Wesstin and Wriggs Burt. He leaves behind his brother, Granville Koehn (Dorothy) of Scott City, Kansas; sister, Juanita Ensz of Montezuma, Kansas; sister, Jane Nikkel (Ray) of Alberta, Canada; brother, Andy Koehn of Sublette, Kansas; brother, Dennis Koehn (Jolene) of Texline, Texas; and brother, Emery Koehn (Helen) of Sublette, Kansas; and many nieces and nephews.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Jonas and Sophie Koehn; sister in-law, Nadine Koehn; sister and brother in-law, Jul and Robert Nightengale; brother in-law, Emory Ensz; son, Kieth Koehn; daughter in-law, Julie Koehn; and grandson, Anthony Koehn.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 27, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Swaim Funeral Chapel in Sublette, Kansas. Funeral service will be held on Sunday, December 28, 2025 at 2:00 PM at the Sublette Christian Church in Sublette, Kansas, followed by burial at Salem Mennonite Cemetery in Copeland, Kansas. Memorials are suggested to Lockport Fire or Haskell County EMS in care of the funeral home. Thoughts and memories may be shared in the online guest book at www.swaimfuneralhome.com.