Raydean "Bags" Koehn

Raydean Merle Koehn was born on June 17, 1953, to Bonnie (Gibson) and Lloyd Koehn in McPherson, Kansas. He was the youngest of five children, and often his siblings would say he was the, "Spoiled Child!" He attended Peaceful Prairie country school before graduating from McPherson High School in 1971. When he was growing up, his siblings would often play a game using beanbags but wouldn't include him because he was the baby, and he would have to retrieve the beanbags. Raydean soon became known as "Beanbag" and continued to be called "Bags" the rest of his life. He enjoyed growing up on the farm and found many ways to keep himself busy with his siblings. He worked for Precision Chrome for a number of years and later retired from CHS in 2018.

Through friends, he met Jana Ball, and they began dating in 1976. Bags being an avid hunter, the couple spent many nights driving country roads looking for deer and getting to know each other. They were married at the First United Methodist Church on May 27, 1978. They chose to get married during Memorial Weekend which forced many of their friends to come home from the lake to attend. Bags and Jana were sure their friends never let them forget the wedding that interrupted their holiday weekend!

Bags and Jana welcomed Aaron Samuel in 1981 and Alex Ray in 1985. The family stayed busy throughout the years with their sons’ sporting events, skiing, biking in Colorado and enjoying the water of the Virgin Islands together. The Koehn and Ball Families lived in McPherson so there were many get togethers for birthdays and holidays, which Bags always looked forward to.

In his spare time, he enjoyed fishing with his buddies, going to the lake, tinkering with boats and hunting deer from a tree stand. After Bags retired, he enjoyed traveling with family and friends, going to K-State football games, skiing with his kids and grandkids and playing with them on the beach, which were very memorable times for him. They enjoyed quite a few trips with friends to Anna Maria Island in Florida, along with adventures to visit cousins in Arizona. Road trips and bike trips with friends or day trips around Kansas were always fun and great memories for Bags and Jana.

Bags thoroughly enjoyed his grandkids and enjoyed many activities with them. Swimming in the backyard was probably the most fun and is where all the grandkids learned to be great swimmers. Eddie would always have to be first in the pool. Aubrey would take care of the wild cats. Zoey would hunt for bugs, and Logan would drive his cars around the pool, all in the backyard! Fun times for everyone! Bags was all about family, and his family will miss him very much.

Bags passed away on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, surrounded by family at his home in McPherson. He was seventy-two.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Bonnie and Lloyd Koehn; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Kathy Ball and Eddie Ball; brother, Howard Koehn; and brother-in-law, Larry Hamler.

Bags will be missed by his wife of 47 years, Jana; sons, Aaron (Rachel) Koehn and Alex (Emily) Koehn; sister, Marilyn Hamler; brothers, Ronnie (Jana) Koehn and Wayne (Mary) Koehn; sister-in-law, Joyce Koehn; brother-in-law, Sam Ball; and step mother-in-law, Peg Ball. His grandkids include Eddie Koehn (13), Zoey Koehn (8), Aubrey Koehn (11) and Logan Koehn (7). Bags has many cousins, nieces and nephews who will miss him dearly.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM, Monday, November 10, 2025, at First United Methodist Church. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, November 11, at First United Methodist Church with Pastor Andrew Conard officiating. A private graveside service will be held at New Gottland Lutheran Cemetery.

Memorial donations can be given to First United Methodist Church, Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks, or McPherson Education Foundation in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.