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Positively Milwaukee

Local Couple In Their 90s, But Zest For Life Is Young

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Story Created: May 21, 2009

Story Updated: May 21, 2009

Local Couple In Their 90s, But Zest For Life Is Young

By Katie DeLong

MILWAUKEE - They are in their nineties, but they're still going strong. Their hobbies and their passion for life are positively Milwaukee. It's a love story and a toy story... Bill and Sylvia Koehn have been married for 71 years. They're in their nineties, but their zest for life is young. She's 95, he's 94. Both stay active with their hobbies. Sylvia's specialty: teddy bears. Bill's: woodworking. Sylvia recycles fur coats into plush, cuddly animals... “It’s a good hobby to have,” Sylvia said. Over the years she's made more than 300 teddy bears. “When I put it together and I see the smile on their face I know they like it. They love ‘em,” Sylvia said. What’s really fantastic is that all of the bears really have a story. Two of the bears came from a fur coat owned by Sylvia’s mother. Sylvia has never accepted money for her bears. They go to friends, family or they're raffled off to raise money for St. Colletta Day School. Kids adore them. “Oh, I’m real happy to see that they like them. They treat them like a doll. When they go someplace they try to keep the bear warm and they're hugging them all the time. They just love ‘em,” Sylvia said. Bill’s craftsmanship can be seen in wooden horses and doll cradles, perfect homes for his wife's teddy bears. They make him feel… “Relaxed...swear once in a white if it goes too wrong,” Bill said. Usually, things go just right. Bill made a grandfather clock and a replica of his dad’s 120 year old cradle. TODAY’S TMJ4’s Carole Meekins: “This has got to be an important family heirloom.” “Oh yes, yes,” Bill said. Sylvia and Bill have four grown children. They're proud of their parents. Mom and Dad are thrilled to leave their offspring a legacy. “I think they think of it as something their grandpa made, something they can hang onto, show people that I wasn’t just sitting on my butt all the time,” Bill said. Maybe the secret to a happy life is finding someone you love, something you like to do and sharing it with others. “This way I keep out of my wife’s hair and she's satisfied,” Bill said. Carole Meekins: “Is that the secret to a happy marriage?” “Yes, I think so,” Bill said. The Koehn’s creations are simple reminders that toys are not just for the young, but for the young at heart. The Koehn’s have 8 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
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