Velma Kiester: 1918 - 2008
Velma Kiester, 89, a resident of rural Kimmell and widow of Max J. Kiester, died at 1:43 p. m. on Wednesday, February 27, 2008, at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne following a brief illness.
Mrs. Kiester was born in Green Township in Noble County on October 14, 1918, a daughter of Fred and Clara (Diffendarfer) Owen, and spent her formative years in that community.
On April 15, 1939 she was married in Noble County to Max J. Kiester. Early in their marriage the couple owned and operated a grocery at Etna, and moved to their farm home in Washington Township 60 years ago. Employed as a school cook, she retired in 1984 from the cafeteria at West Noble High School in Ligonier after over 25 years.
She was a member of the Ormas Baptist Church and its Missionary Society, and in her leisure time enjoyed gardening, reading, and spending time with friends. Most especially, she loved and enjoyed her family.
Mr. Kiester, well-known Noble County farmer, preceded her in death on May 11, 1999.
The surviving relatives include two daughters Judy (Paul) Geiger and Joyce (Tom) Beezley, both of Churubusco; her son Jim D. (Marsha) Kiester of Kimmell; ten grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a daughter Donna West in 2001; a sister Edith Bonar; and by four brothers Clarence Owen, Woodward Owen, Dale F. Owen, and Leo Owen.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a. m. Monday, March 3, 2008, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Rev. Rodney Schuler, pastor of Ormas Baptist Church, officiating.
The family will receive friends at the mortuary on Sunday from 2 to 8 p. m.
Interment will be in the Stringtown Cemetery, Noble County.
For those who wish, memorials may be directed to the Ormas Baptist Church, 8962 North 300 West, Columbia City, Indiana 46725
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February 29th, 2008 at 11:07 am
We have such great memories of Velma. Hal mentioned she was like a second mother to him. He spent a lot of time with Jim as a kid and remembers the good food Velma prepared. I enjoyed the 3 years I spent in the high school kitchen working with Velma. She taught me how to make Christmas candies and I still use some of her good recipes yet today. She was quite a lady that we will all miss. The family is in our thoughts and prayers.
February 29th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Mother
The young mother set her foot upon the Path of Life. “Is the way long?” she asked. And her guide said, “Yes. And the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning.” But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years.
She played with her children and gathered flowers for them along the way. She bathed with them in the clear streams and the sun shone on them and life was good. The young mother warmly said, ” Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.”
The night came and the path was dark and the children shook with fear and cold. The mother drew them close and covered them with her mantel and the children said, “Oh, Mother, we are not afraid for you are near and no harm can come to us. The mother said, “This is better than the brightness of the day, for I have taught my children courage.”
The morning came and there was a hill ahead. The children climbed and grew weary and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, “A little patience and we are there.” So the children climbed and when they had reached the top, they said, “We could not have done it without you, Mother.” And the mother, when she lay down that night, looked up at the stars and said, “This is a better day than the last for my children have learned fortitude in the face of difficulty. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I have given them strength.”
With the next day came strange clouds of war and hate and evil. The children groped and stumbled and the mother said, “Look up. Lift your eyes to the light.” And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory. It guided them and brought them beyond the darkness and evil. That night, the mother said, ” This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God.”
The days went on and weeks and months and years. The mother grew old. She was little and bent but her children were tall and strong and walked with courage and strength. And when the way was hard they helped their mother and when the way was rough, they lifted her for she was light as a feather. At last they came to a hill and beyond the hill they could see a shining road with the golden gate flung open wide.
The mother said, “I have reached the end of my journey. Now I know that the end is better than the beginning for my children can walk alone and their children after them.” And the children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.” And they stood and watched as she went on alone and the gates closed after her. And they said, “We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory, she is a living presence.”