DonnaLou (Peterson) KESTER

KESTER, PETERSON, MANDERFIELD, VERHOEF, HOLLAND

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/20/2007 at 11:33:25

DonnaLou Kester, 64, finished her race on August 14. Her earthly life ended at home following a long battle with cancer. Her endurance and faith in the midst of suffering were an inspiration to many. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, August 17 at St. Henry Catholic Church with a church luncheon immediately following. There will be a mid-afternoon burial and committal service at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church to be used for a memorial walking path extension at Timber Creek Park in Marshalltown.

DonnaLou was the daughter of Melvin and Myrtle Peterson and was raised on a farm near Leland, IA. She attended elementary school in Leland and graduated from Forest City High in 1957. She received an AA degree from Eagle Grove Community College, a BA degree from UNI and a MA degree from Drake University. Her teaching career included positions at Shell Rock, Stacyville, St. Ansgar, and in Marshalltown at Anson Elementary/Middle Schools and Headstart. She had spent the last six years partnering with her husband to develop the Cross Country Estates housing development. She was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church where she was a Sunday School teacher and then Sunday School Superintendent for many years. After retiring from 35 years of public school teaching she served as a Parish Worker for Trinity Lutheran Church and was the author of e-mail devotions for the past three years. DonnaLou was a member of MEA, NEA, ISEA, Matins Kiwanis, ADK and enjoyed several bridge clubs. She was a devoted wife, loving mother and an awesome grandma who enjoyed her family, friends, golfing, reading, sewing, playing cards, cooking, running, gardening, traveling and quietly encouraging others in many different ways.

DonnaLou is survived by her husband of 46 years, Larry; one daughter, Lori Manderfield and her husband Jim of Urbandale; two sons, Dave and his wife Julie of Urbandale and Dan and his wife Lora of Marshalltown; nine grandchildren; two brothers, Roger Peterson of Lake Mills and Richard Peterson of Pine Bluff, AR; two sisters, Marjorie VerHoef of Leland and Sharon Holland of Forest City; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded into eternal glory by her parents and one brother, Marvin (Bud).

Des Moines Register, The (IA)
August 17, 2004