Luella “Lou” Kopel
Luella “Lou” Kopel, age 97 of Morris, Minnesota, formerly of Donnelly, MN, passed away Friday, July 18, 2025, at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, MN.
Visitation for Lou Kopel will be held Wednesday, July 23, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris, MN.
Visitation will continue from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at Assumption Catholic Church in Morris, MN.
Funeral Mass for Luella ‘Lou’ Kopel will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at Assumption Catholic Church in Morris, MN, with Fr. Todd Schneider celebrating the Mass.
Burial will be in St. Theresia’s Cemetery near Donnelly, MN.
Luella ‘Lou’ Laura Matejka was born on March 3, 1928, in Moose Island near Donnelly, Minnesota, the daughter of Loddie and Lena (Smith) Matejka. She grew up on a farm in the Donnelly area with her 12 siblings. She attended country school and graduated from Alberta High School, Class of 1946.
On April 10, 1947, she married Edward ‘Eddie’ Kopel at St. Theresia’s Catholic Church in Donnelly. The couple made their home on a farm west of Donnelly where they raised their six children and Lou and Eddie worked on the farm. In September 2024, she moved to an apartment in Morris, MN.
Lou loved gardening and was a Master Gardner; she felt that gardening was her therapy. She also enjoyed canning, cooking, baking, sewing, quilting, fishing, and hunting. As well, she was known to dance on a table or two at wedding dances.
Along with participating in 4-H with her children, Lou was a member of the VFW Auxiliary, the Red Hats, St. Theresia’s Catholic Church in Donnelly and Assumption Catholic Church in Morris, MN.
Lou is survived by her children: Lester (Sandy) Kopel, Ron (Sandy) Kopel, Mike (Joanie) Kopel, Pat (Chuck) Dingman, and Carol (Scott) Henderson; fifteen grandchildren; twenty-six great-grandchildren; brothers: Wayne (Dee Dee) Matejka and Vernon Matejka; and sister: Winifred Perl.
She was preceded in death by her parents: Loddie and Lena; husband: Edward; son: Charles; and siblings: Roy, Clarence, Bernice, Jeanette, Bonnie, Betty, Glenn, Lillian, and Evelyn.
Arrangements are with the Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris, MN.
