Obituary of Frieda Koelbl

Ursula Koelbl

The family of Ursula Koelbl of Stockton Springs is saddened to announce her passing on Thursday, April 11th, at 83 years old. Ursula passed peacefully at home surrounded by her two sons. 

Ursula is survived by her two children: Andreas, with grandsons Lake and Kai. And Christian, with his wife Sarah and their two children Rheiner and Wilder, and eldest grandson Grayson from Christian’s first marriage to Beverly.  Ursula is also survived by her brother Herbert in Germany and his family: wife Christa, and sons Jan and Adrian. Predeceasing Ursula is her sister Anita.  Ursula is survived by Anita’s son Armin and his two children Jonas and Lukas.  

Our mother was always ready to help someone in need or lend a hand.  She was an amazing seamstress, who sewed many evening gowns at a time before computers did all the work. She loved to dance and play all kinds of games. (If it was your turn and you were not paying attention, oh, she’d let you know. ) She held to her Catholicism all her life and participated as much as she could in the church.  Our mother loved Christmas time and would always make it special by keeping to the German traditions she grew up with.

 Ursula spent the first 6 years of her life growing up in the contested Sudetenland region between Germany and Czechoslovakia. After surviving many Allied bombings and world war II, five-year-old Ursula became a war refugee with her mother, bringing only what they could carry, and placed into cattle cars, not knowing that they would eventually end up in Tegernsee, Germany, where Ursula and her mother were taken in by a farmer’s family.  Ursula spent most of her primary and teenage years growing up in Tegernsee, but also spent a lot of time with her grandparents a few hours north in Baumgarten.  Teenage Ursula was a firecracker, who once sneaked out of the house by dropping herself out a first-story window because her mother said she couldn’t go to the movies.

 Ursula followed her sweetheart to the New York area in the mid-1960s and settled for a few years in Little Falls, NJ.  After first son Andreas was born, the family went back to Germany in 1968 to care for ailing family members. Shortly thereafter, second son Christian was born and by 1972 Ursula was divorced and immigrated to the United States, settling in Randolph, NJ.  After her boys were in high school, Ursula got into retail and community volunteering. She worked for many years at Epstein's Dept Store in Morristown and took great pride in helping purchase items for and create an amazing Christmas department.  After 30+ years of learning to become a German Jersey girl, in 2006 she followed her son Christian and his family to Maine. 

During her life in Maine, Ursula was a critical factor in helping raise three of her grandchildren, which could not have been done without her. (She could have given out a little less candy though )  For many years, Ursula was a regular volunteer in the Belfast Soup Kitchen, when it was in the red and white building. She took great pride in helping others and she would come home smiling, when she would hear customers say, “Oh good, the German lady is cooking today.” 

The family is choosing to hold a private celebration to honor Ursula’s life by putting out favorite pictures, lighting candles, and listening to her favorite music and sharing stories. 

In Lieu of flowers, any caring donation can be made to the Belfast Soup Kitchen or St. Francis Catholic Church.

Our Mom, Omi, Schwester, Tante, Mother-in-law, and dear friend to everyone, will be deeply and greatly missed.

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.ripostafh.com