Russell Kopplow

Russell Kopplow April 26, 1932 - April 23, 2011

Russell J. Kopplow, age 78, of Lonsdale, MN, died Saturday, April 23, 2011 at St. Mary''s Hospital in Rochester, following an extended illness. A Traditional Latin Burial Mass will be held on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Society of Saint Pius X, 875 Manomin Ave, in West St. Paul, MN. Interment with full military honors will be held at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at 1:00 p.m. Visitation will be held at the Lonsdale American Legion, 115 2nd Ave. SW, on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will continue at the church on Thursday for one hour prior to services. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to The Fatima Center, 17000 State Route 30, Constable, NY 12926. Arrangements are being completed by the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory of Faribault. Russell James, the son of Charles and Lillian (Reinart) Kopplow, was born on April 26, 1932 in Ludington, Michigan. His family moved to Bird Island, MN and Russell attended St. Mary''s High School and graduated with the class of 1951. After high school, Russell served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in 1955. Russell then worked as a Journeyman Carpenter for a short time. On June 6, 1959 he was united in marriage to Kathryn Wiley in Kellogg, MN. They later divorced. In 1962 Russell started a 20 year career with the Minneapolis Police Department, retiring in 1982. He then began a 13 year career as a custodial engineer at Burnsville High School. Among Russell''s passions in life were his beloved farm near Lonsdale on which he lived since 1968, restoring his 1951 Massey Ferguson 135 tractor, woodworking, and motorcycling. He was a member of the NRA, the Minneapolis Police Federation, Gold Wing Road Riders Assoc., and the LST 325. He was an avid supporter of the National Right to Life. He is survived by ex-wife Kathryn; three children, Joseph (Janet) Kopplow of Tetonia, ID, Barbara Lynn, known as Sydney K. Wiley of Chicago, IL and Susan (Bob) Erpenbach of Faribault, MN; by four grandchildren, Jacob Kopplow, Kathryn Kopplow, Bryan Olson and Michael Olson; by his sister, Carol Arseneau of Blaine, MN and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and an infant sister, Mary Louise Kopplow.