Florence M. Fischer, of Beattie, KS, died Friday, March 13, 2015 at Life Care Center in Seneca, KS.

Florence was born March 14, 1920 on the family farm near Clyde, KS, the eighth of thirteen children to Nicholas and Cordelia (Menard) Koch. She attended grade school at Pleasant View School and the received her high school education at St. Mary’s Academy in Leavenworth, KS. She then entered St. Mary’s College for one year to begin nursing curriculum. Following that she went to Providence Hospital at Kansas City, KS, to continue her training and became a Registered Nurse in February 1943. She worked at Providence and in an Obstetrics-Gynecology office until August 1948. On September 23, 1948 she married Edmund L. Fischer at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at Clyde. They farmed in the Frankfort, KS, area until 1954 and then moved to the Axtell-Beattie community where they farmed and had a dairy. They were the parents of three sons; Duane, James, and Gary.
Florence pursued her nursing career in the Axtell, Seneca, and Marysville hospitals as an RN. She served 26 years as the night supervisor at the Marysville Hospital.
She attended St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Axtell where she was a member of the Guild and choir. She was a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) member and RSVP volunteer. She especially enjoyed helping young people in both capacities.
Her hobbies included fishing, quilting, knitting, gardening, planting flowers, and playing cards.

She was preceded in death by her husband Edmund, on October 1, 1978; her parents; brothers, Fr. Augustine Koch, Joseph Koch, Anthony Koch, Herman Koch, and Lawrence Koch; and sisters, Isobel Fischer, Rosa Brownell, Sr. Marguerite Koch, Sr. Herman Joseph Koch, and an infant sister.

Survivors include her sons, Duane (Susan) Fischer and Gary (Debbie) Fischer, Beattie, KS, and Jim (Kathleen) Fischer, Axtell, KS; brother, Al Koch; sister, Cecelia Deneault; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Visitation will Monday, March 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Axtell-Landreth Funeral Home in Axtell and one hour prior to service times at the church.
A rosary service will be held at 7 p.m., Monday, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Axtell.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 17, at St. Michael's Catholic Church. Father Albert Hauser will officiate. Kathy Buessing will play the organ while the choir sings “On Eagles Wings”, “Morning Has Broken”, “Lead Me Lord”, “Come Home” and “How Great Thou Art”.
The pallbearers will be Tom Koch, Doug O’Neil, Gary Brownell, Greg Deneault, Ron Kloppenberg and Joe Shaughnessy.
Burial will be in the church cemetery.

A memorial fund has been established and will be designated later. Contributions may be sent in care of the Axtell-Landreth Funeral Home.