Following her brother Norman and cousin Margaret Meyer, Rhoda Koch Hildebrandt graduated from UW-Madison in the mid-1920s. As a student, she was active with the Calvary Lutheran Church and the Dolphin Club, as well as the women’s varsity swimming team. After graduation, Rhoda Koch married Harold C. Hildebrandt, a nationally ranked swimmer, who later taught all three of their daughters to swim and sail outside their home on Pewaukee Lake. She remained active with the local athletic club, the hiking and sports club, her church, and the ladies aide society. She also served on the board of the Lutheran Home in Milwaukee.