By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — Donnie Kohls says service was instilled in him at an early age.

“Growing up in a family of 11 kids, we were just made to be a part of service to others,” he said. “We were in a country setting of neighbors helping neighbors.”

Kohls, of Rochester, serves others through his position as funeral assistant at Zimmerman Brothers Funeral Home and through outside activities.

Donnie Kohls

He’s the current president of the Rochester Kiwanis Club and on the Fulton County Community Corrections Board and United We Stand Ministries of Akron Board.

Kohls is also an interim pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church and has been involved with Gideons International for 17 years.

He said it was his mother, Betty Kohls, who served as an early model to him of helping others. Kohls said she worked at an assisted living facility.

“I would ride my bicycle at the age of 14 the five miles into town just to be in the assisted living (facility) where she worked, kind of helping her, so that gave me the desire (to serve others),” he said.

Kohls is originally from Cadott, Wis. When he was in high school, his family moved to Minnesota, where he graduated from Crosby-Ironton High School.

Kohls said his family moved back to Cadott after he graduated high school. After the return to Wisconsin, Kohls said he started dealing with some personal issues, which he thought he could escape by moving away.

He met a family in Cadott originally from Delong.

“I came on a vacation with them down here to Indiana,” said Kohls. “When I came down here to stay, I fell in love. The people were friendly.”

Kohls moved to Rochester in 1986. His first job in the county was as a certified nursing assistant at Life Care Center of Rochester. He next became Life Care’s activities coordinator.

Kohls’ other jobs before Zimmerman Brothers included driving a school bus for Rochester Community Schools, working at Lifeline Youth and Family Services in Kosciusko County and doing marketing and being an activities director for Peabody Retirement Community in North Manchester.

“In 2007, I came back to Rochester to work as a community corrections officer (under then-Fulton County Sheriff Walker Conley),” he said.

Kohls then became co-commander of the Fulton County Jail with Mary Williams.

“I then went to work for Wynnfield Crossing (of Rochester) … from 2014 until 2021,” he said.

Kohls started working for Zimmerman Brothers part time in 2017, becoming full time in 2021.

He said his previous service jobs prepared him for working with families of people who have passed away due to teaching him “compassion.”

Kohls’ tasks at Zimmerman Brothers include helping Zimmerman Brothers Funeral Home Director Darin Beeker with preparing people’s bodies, although Kohls can’t actually embalm a body himself.

He also does the memorial videos and cards, helps set up for visitations and funerals, cleans up afterward and assists at the gravesites.

Kohls works at Zimmerman Brothers’ locations in Rochester and Fulton and at McClain Funeral Home in Denver, as Beeker also serves as the funeral director there.

“I’m glad for the things I’ve done,” he said. “I’m glad for the people that God has put in the path of my life that have shaped my life. This job here, I wish I got into this field early on. This has just been phenomenal.”

Kohls has been married to Jayne Kohls for 35 years.

He has a daughter, Shelly, and a granddaughter, Ada, who live in Rochester; as well as a stepson, George, daughter-in-law, Erin, and grandchildren, Geo and Rosie, who live in South Bend.

In his spare time, he enjoys golfing.