Valerie Jo Koelsch

Valerie Koelsch of Bethany often said she had three families – her God-given family, her church family and her Federal Employees Credit Union family. Koelsch, 33, was the credit union’s marketing director. She attended St. Patrick Catholic Church, where she was involved in many of the church’s ministries. In 1993, she went to World Youth Day in Denver to see the pope. She later was quoted in a story in The Oklahoman saying that she disagreed with surveys that showed many American Catholics disregard church teachings. “I think that’s way off base,” Koelsch said in the story. “I don’t think that’s true, for me at least.”