Verna Pochop

Verna Gail (Woods) Pochop, born on May 11, 1939, in Ormsby, MN went to her eternal home on May 8, 2025 in Albuquerque, NM.

Raised on a farm south of Colome, SD, with six brothers and a sister, Verna graduated from Colome High School in 1957 and married Virgil Pochop, her husband of 51 years, in 1958 in Colome as well.

Verna was a bright light in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her time on earth was marked by her unwavering dedication to her faith in the Lord, and those who knew her remember her for her many volunteer roles with her church and other causes near to her heart. She was a devoted wife, daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother who shared her deep well of kindness and sense of humor with family and friends throughout her years.

Verna Gail had many projects and hobbies during her life. She was certified by the National Library of Congress as a Braille Transcriber. She held many offices in organizations of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod churches in Aberdeen, SD and Albuquerque, NM. She volunteered and served as state treasurer for the Right to Life Committee of New Mexico.

She was an avid and talented crafter, crocheting many afghans over the years, doing other needlepoint and beadwork as well, especially Chrismon tree ornaments. She was a voracious reader, lover of plants and birds, enthusiastic jigsaw and crossword puzzler, and never met a piece of technology she couldn't figure out. She took a Fortran class in the 1960's, and kept up her computer work and gaming until her passing. She even holds the esteemed accomplishment of beating The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario World for Super Nintendo.

Verna is reunited with her husband (Virgil), her parents and Virgil's parents, four brothers (Glenn Woods, Vernon Woods, Charles Woods, James Woods, a sister (Colleen Abernathy), and three brothers-in-law (Darrell Pochop, Roger Pochop, and Merle Pochop), and a sister-in-law (Joanne Pochop).

Verna is survived by her four children, Tracy (the Rev Roger) Knepprath, Kelly (Sue) Pochop, Kara (Don) Schmeichel, and Jana Pochop; her thirteen grandchildren, Michael (Jill), Angela, Andrea, and Brian (Emily) Knepprath, Robin, Brendan, and Kendra (Trevor) Pochop, Erica (Kyle) Goodwin, Jennifer (Lee) Samson, Catherine (Matt) Borck, Heather (Hunter) Schmeichel, Patrick and Philip Schmeichel; and six great-grandchildren, Owen Knepprath, Winry Knepprath, Ramona, Iris, Jasper, and Ivy Borck; two brothers, Gary (Kathy) Woods and David (Linda) Woods, and two sisters-in-law, Jeanne Pochop and Margaret Pochop as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service and luncheon reception will be held Tuesday, May 27th, 2025 at 11 AM at Shepherd Lutheran Church (3900 Wyoming Blvd NE, Albuquerque). An interment ceremony is planned for mid-July 2025 at the City of Colome Cemetery in Colome, SD.

Please visit the family's online guestbook for Verna at www.FrenchFunerals.com