Mary Josephine Ridge Kohler

It is with stoic hearts that we share the passing of the “baby” of our family. Mary Josephine Ridge Kohler passed into the arms of her loving Lord and her waiting husband on June 27, 2024 in Santa Barbara, California.

Mary Jo was born July 1,1941 in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota to Patrick and Josephine Linnertz Ridge. She was the only one of us not to be born at home, she was the last of the five children born into the Ridge family and became known as the baby of the family.

In 1943, the Ridge Family migrated to Anaconda, following our dad who came west in 1942. The trains we traveled on were crowded with men in uniform. America was at war. Our brother Joe, tells the story of the cute blonde toddler who captivated the men in uniform and they showered her with nickels and dimes. Our mother and grandma Linnertz packed shoe boxes with sandwiches, fruit and cookies, they tied them shut with string. The shoeboxes provided our meals on the journey.

Mary Jo attended St. Peter’s Grade School and graduated from Anaconda Central High School in 1959. She married her high school sweetheart, Don “Sonny” Kohler on July 6, 1959. That was the year of a big strike and they left Anaconda to seek work in Santa Barbara where Don’s sister, Minnie lived.

In 1951, our sister Ann died in a car accident. Ann’s two children were enfolded into our family and we all grew up together.

Mary Jo was born with the extra chromosome that affects the individual with the Linnertz family deafness. The hereditary nerve deafness has affected numerous individuals in our vast family. It continues to affect family members born with the extra chromosome to this day.

However, despite her hearing loss, Mary Jo was determined to live a full life. She worked in accounting offices, having inherited the Linnertz knack with numbers. Mary Jo was a highly skilled lip-reader and was able to have swift conversations with family, friends, co-workers and strangers. Her husband Don and her children supported her throughout her life as she lived with her disability.

Mary Jo also inherited the Linnertz love of card games. It must be part of our DNA! Pennies, nickels and dimes were in the pot, but the hooting, hollering and laughter made it sound like high stakes were on the table.

Most people have a baby of the family story to tell. We are certain that they had later curfews, had more liberties and more spending money. They didn’t hear the word no very often.

Mary Jo’s husband of 64 years, died on August 29, 2023. It wasn’t long before she joined him.

She is survived by their five children: David, Lori, Mike, Sheryl and Joyce. Her surviving siblings are Joe Ridge, Seattle, Rose Nyman and the niece who grew up with us, Susie Mavrinac of Anaconda, a sister-in-law Minnie Neal. Many nieces and nephews also survive.

Mary Jo was preceded in death by her parents, Pat and Josephine, sister, Ann Paull, sister and brother-in-law Agnes and Joe Bolkovatz and sister-in-law Dolores Ridge. Her nephew Billy Shafford, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Don’s parents Frank and Molly and his sister, Daffney Hawkins. 

We hope our sister is in a hearing realm, that she now hears the spontaneous laugh of Don, the excitement and laughter of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the birds singing, a haunting Irish ballad and a Oompah polka band.

Godspeed Baby Sister!