Josephine Elizabeth Kopitzke, daughter of John and Wilhelmina (Block) Kopitzke, was born December 1, 1913 in Swan Lake Township in Stevens County, Minnesota. Josie attended country school in rural Stevens County. On September 24, 1936, she was united in marriage to William Frederick Fougeron. Josie was a homemaker, dedicating her life to children. She, Bill and their young family resided in Houston, Texas until 1947, when they returned to Morris. As the children grew, she worked in retail and later cooked in the high school cafeteria. After retirement, she cooked at the Developmental Achievement Center in Morris, and later provided child care in the ECFE program. She was asked by many area families to provide live-in child care during extended parent absences, and most of those families have stayed in touch with her. William died on June 20, 1979. Josie has continued to make her home in Morris since that time. Josie was a member of First Lutheran Church in Morris, where she was active with the ladies aid.





Josie died on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at the Stevens Community Medical Center in Morris, Minnesota, having lived to reach the age of 95 years.





She is survived by four children: John W. (Sylvia) Fougeron of Brevard, NC, James A. (Corrine) Fougeron of Omaha, NE, George H. (Cheryl) Fougeron of Annapolis, MD and Dorothy A. (Darrell) De Jager of Starbuck; 11 grandchildren: Chantel (Doug) Scheuring, Jamie (Brian) Murphy, Adam (Rakia) Copeland, Sara (Jimmy) Thomas, Jean Paul (Monica) Fougeron, Chad Fougeron, Julie (Todd) Estey, Jean (Tom) Lilly, Dena (Dane) Froiland, Jodi (Dave) Seever and Sandra (Eric) Adams; 15 great-grandchildren; one sister: Rose Gibson; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents and eight brothers and sisters: Agnes Hawkinson, Andrew Kopitzke, Richard Kopitzke, Edward Kopitzke, Paul Kopitzke, Leo Kopitzke, George Kopitzke and Florence Sand.

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