Inez Marie Haun Koenke

Inez Marie Haun Koenke, of Greenville, South Carolina, entered her heavenly home on August 14, 2025, after a brief illness. She was born on May 26, 1939, to H. Marcus and Oleta Coffey, in the U.S. Post Office in Thorn Hill, Tennessee, where her father was the postmaster. Following her step-father Orval P. Haun’s return from service in World War II, Orval and Oleta settled with Inez in Detroit, Michigan, where he began working in the auto industry. The family purchased a home across the street from the local school, and it was there that Inez spent her childhood. When Inez was eight years old, her parents welcomed her baby sister, Linda. At the age of twelve, Inez came to faith in Christ and was baptized soon afterward. One of her Sunday School teachers, Mrs. Couch, played a significant role in guiding her spiritually and later encouraged her to attend Bob Jones Academy for her final two years of high school. There, she met her lifelong friend, Sonia Pavluk, who was her English student teacher. Inez met her future husband, Stan Koenke, when he served as interim music director at her church. She was seventeen, and Stan had recently graduated from college. They married on June 8, 1957, when Inez was eighteen, beginning their life together in a home Stan had purchased for her. As their family grew to include four children, the Koenkes moved from their first home in Detroit to a larger one, and eventually began building their dream home in Lake Orion, Michigan. Before the new home was completed, God redirected their path to Greenville, South Carolina in 1969, where Stan had to re-establish his family wood flooring business, although they knew few people in their new city. They re-connected with their good friends, Dave and Sonia Pavluk, who had moved to Greenville the year before. Stan and Inez quickly became active members of Hampton Park Baptist Church and enrolled their children in the newly founded Hampton Park Christian School, valuing the importance of Christian education. A lifelong and avid reader, Inez amassed a personal library of more than 14,000 books. Though she did not complete a formal college education, she often said she had “read herself an education.” She was instrumental in helping establish the first library at Hampton Park Christian School. For the last ten years of her life, Inez was a member of Faith Baptist Church in Taylors, SC. Inez possessed a remarkable gift for hospitality, opening her home to missionary families on furlough, traveling evangelists, university students, and friends from church and her growing family. She had a special ability to make others feel loved and valued. At one point early in their marriage, Stan and Inez welcomed a missionary family to live with them for an entire year until the family found their next place of service. Inez was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Stan, and their daughter, Melody. She is survived by her sister, Linda Lovett (Rod) of Acworth, GA; her children, Glenda Davis (Bill) of Heidelberg, Germany, Scott Koenke (Cheryl) of Greer, SC, and Bonnie Espy (Todd) of Atlanta, GA; fifteen grandchildren; twenty nine great-grandchildren; and two nephews and a niece. Her life was marked by faith, generosity, and a steadfast love for her family and her enduring friendships. She will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew her. "Lovingly submitted by family." A gathering of family and friends will be held on Wednesday, August 20th, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM in the Remembrance Chapel of Woodlawn Memorial Park, followed by Funeral services at 11:00 AM. Committal and burial will follow in Woodlawn Memorial Park.

Inez Marie Haun Koenke

May 26, 1939 - August 14, 2025