Ruth T. (Pfund) Kokko

Ruth Theresa (Pfund) Kokko, daughter of Edward T. Pfund, Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Banning died peacefully at home on Thursday, March 11th , 2010. She was born March 25th, 1918 in Hartford, Connecticut and soon moved to Methuen, Massachusetts, where her father worked as a printer for the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune. During her high school career, she was involved in women’s athletics, particularly basketball. She graduated from Methuen High School in 1936. As a young adult, Ruth was an avid camper, bike-rider and traveler, working as a Girl Scout troop leader, taking extended bike trips with her girlfriends, camping out and staying at youth hostels. Her travels included bike trips through the mountains of West Virginia and from her home in Methuen to Montreal, Canada as well as rail trips to California, and Atlantic City. During WWII, Ruth worked as a mender at the local textile mill, producing quality material for uniformed service members. In 1950, she married the love of her life, William E. Kokko Sr. and moved from a small city apartment to the rural farmhouse setting that she had dreamed about. Together, the couple worked to fix up the old farmhouse, which she continued to enjoy doing in her later years. As a resident of Milford, Ruth enjoyed working with young people and taught Sunday school and was involved with Cub Scouts while raising three children. Her passion for sewing led to her becoming an active member and teacher of tailoring with the Hillsborough Cooperative Extension Program. After her husband’s retirement, the couple continued camping and traveling and succeeded in traveling to all 48 continental states, Mexico, and all but two Canadian provinces. In her later years, Ruth became particularly interested in genealogy and worked hard to preserve and pass on the past to her children and grandchildren. Mrs. Kokko was preceded in death by her brother, Edward T. Pfund, Jr. She leaves behind her husband of 60 years, William E. Kokko, Sr., two sons and daughters-in-law, William E. Kokko, Jr. & Patricia E. Kokko, Robert F. & Stephanie P. Kokko; a daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth M. & William N. Banister, all of Milford. She also leaves her eight grandchildren, Katherine E. Kokko and Carolyn Kokko of Milford, Andrea M. Chappell of Milford, Christina R. Andonopoulos of Redondo Beach, California, Rachel M. Kokko of New York City, NY, Stephanie C. Kokko of Milford, Caleb Banister of Durham, NH and William Banister of Nelson, NH; four great-grandchildren; three nieces and nephews and three great-nieces and nephews. Visiting hours are Tuesday, March 16th from 5:00-7:00 pm in the Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford, NH. Funeral services are private. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Share Outreach, Inc., 1 Columbus Avenue, Milford, NH 03055 or St. Joseph Home and Hospice Care, 24 North River Road, Milford, NH 03055.