Sylvia Anne Koppinger

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Sylvia Anne Holzemer was born on December 28, 1926, in Amidon, ND, to John Peter (JP) Holzemer and Susan (Ficker) Holzemer, the ninth of ten children and one of two daughters. Sylvia grew up on the family farm just outside of Amidon. She attended school in Amidon until entering high school at St. Mary’s in New England. While a student there, she and her brothers lived in New England while school was in session.

During WWII, because of the shortage of teachers, and despite not having a college degree, Sylvia was able to teach in a rural school, and kept in touch to this day with one of her students.

Sylvia married Robert Koppinger at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Amidon on February 14, 1949, after a major snowstorm. Their family grew to include nine children: Carole, Jerald, Daniel, Allen, Kathleen, Barbara, Laura, Howard, and Timothy. They made their home in New England, where Sylvia was a stay-at-home mother for many years. She baked bread from scratch weekly, canned and froze vegetables from the garden, and was an accomplished seamstress, sewing many of the clothes for herself and her daughters. She cooked all her meals from scratch and was especially known for her potato salad, which no one has ever been able to duplicate! Although never realizing her dream of becoming a professional hairdresser, she cut all her children’s hair until they moved away.

Sylvia’s Catholic faith was very important to her, and all her children were enrolled in St. Mary’s School. She and Bob were very proud of all their children and followed them to all their sports and music activities, even into college and beyond. Once they had grandchildren, they followed them as well. Sylvia was an active member of the school’s sports and music booster clubs, and the Altar Guild.

Sylvia’s front door was always open to any neighbors who wanted to stop in for coffee and a visit. She loved pinochle and was a member of a pinochle club. Anytime there was a Holzemer gathering of at least four people, the cards came out and a serious game of pinochle ensued. Sylvia also took up the game of golf, learning to play on the sand greens of the New England golf course. Bowling was another activity she enjoyed.

In 1983 Sylvia went to work in the school office, where she became acquainted with computers for the first time. Soon she had her own computer used for address labels, letters, email, keeping the Holzemer family tree up-to-date, and many games of solitaire.

In her later years, after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Sylvia reluctantly sold the home that Bob had built for their family and moved to Fargo to be near Carole and Tim, living her final days there. A strong, stubborn woman, she clung to her independence as much as possible right up until her death on April 27, 2024 at Eventide.

Sylvia is survived by her children: Jerry (LaVerne), Dickinson ND; Dan, San Diego CA; Al (Cindy), Spearfish SD; Kathy, Northport NY; Barb (AJ) Olson, Monticello MN; Laura, Chandler AZ; Howard, Sidney MT; Tim (Janet), Fargo ND; eleven grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and two (plus two future) great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters-in-law Marion Holzemer and Helen Koppinger, and brother-in-law Harry (Carol) Koppinger.

Sylvia was preceded in death by her parents, JP and Susan; husband Robert in 2003; daughter and son-in-law Carole and Marty Bjugstad; and siblings Conrad, Raymond, Anton (Butch), George, Ernest, Leo (Bud), Lucille Heilman, Stanley, and Harold (Red).

In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to St. Mary’s School Foundation, New England, ND and/or Riverview Place, Fargo.

Funeral Mass: 11:00 A.M. Monday, May 6, 2024 at Riverview Place Chapel, Fargo with visitation starting at 10:00 A.M.

Burial: North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, ND.

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