Katherine Carstens (1916-2008)

CARSTENS, HAUSER, SCHMIDT, PANNING, OSE

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 4/28/2009 at 19:33:00

THE STORY CITY HERALD, Story City, Story County, Iowa, Wednesday, December 31, 2008.

Katherine Carstens, age 92, formerly of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008, at Bethany Manor in Story City, Iowa. Funeral services will be Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne. Burial will follow at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne. Visitation was Tuesday, Dec. 30 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Hartquist Funeral Home - Engebretson Chapel in Luverne. To sign an online registry, please visit http://www.hartquistfuneral.com .

Katherine Carstens was born to Rev. Martin and Emma (Schmidt) Hauser on Dec. 13, 1916 in Warren, Minnesota. She spent her childhood in Warren and then Luverne, Minnesota where her family moved in 1925. She graduated from Luverne High School and pursued her degree in education at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. She worked as an elementary teacher in Outstate Minnesota, Northfield, Minnesota and Minneapolis, Minnesota. She married George Carstens on June 29, 1956 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Luverne, Minnesota. The couple made their primary home in Luverne and spent summers at their cottage on Otter Tail Lake, Minnesota. George preceded her in death in 1982. She continued to reside in their winter and summer homes until 1993 when she moved to Overland Park, Kansas. In 2005, she relocated to Story City, Iowa where she resided at Timberland Village. In late August of 2008, Katherine entered Bethany Manor where on December 25th, she passed away at the age of 92 years and 12 days.

Katherine was a member of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. During her childhood and adult years in Luverne she was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church where she was kept active as an organist and in Ladies Circle. She was a previous member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Overland Park, Kansas. She was also a member of the Maplewood Auxiliary. She enjoyed reading and had a passion for music. She was a talented pianist and organist.

Katherine is survived by her three brothers, Cyril Hauser and his wife Patricia of Glenview, Illinois, Paul Hauser and his wife Betsy of Evanston, Illinois, and Jean Hauser and his wife Hildegarde of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin; two sisters, Lois Panning of Evanston, Illinois, and Mary Ann Ose and her husband Odale of Roland, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews; and other family. She was preceded in death by her husband, George; her parents; and three brothers, Martin, Luther and Bernard Hauser.