Valois Mildred (Ingraham) KOESTER

KOESTER, INGRAHAM, MENDELL, SEVERE, HAGE, LOU

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/2/2007 at 17:05:28

Mason City Globe Gazette
September 3, 2005

ROCKWELL — Valois M. Koester died Thursday (Sept. 1, 2005) at the Rockwell Community Nursing Home. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the First Grace Baptist Church, Park Street Campus in Sheffield, with the Rev. Bruce Rulapaugh and the Rev. Ken Livingston officiating. Interment will be at the Rockwell Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Retz-Grarup Funeral Home in Sheffield.

Valois Mildred Ingraham was born Oct. 22, 1915, on the family farm near Rowan, Iowa, a daughter of Archie and Mildred (Mendell) Ingraham. At a young age, her family moved to Swaledale. She began school in Swaledale. Later they moved to a farm near Sheffield, where she attended country school through eighth grade and then graduated with honors from Sheffield High School. Valois taught in country school for a year in Cerro Gordo County before her marriage. On May 10, 1935, Valois and Walter Koester were united in marriage at the parsonage of Grace Baptist Church in Sheffield. To this marriage, one son, Larry, was born. Valois and Walter farmed for a number of years northwest of Rockwell, moving to town in 1980. Valois was a member of First United Methodist Church in Sheffield. She and Walter were members of the Grace Baptist Church in Sheffield for all their lives. They enjoyed a very active life, including such activities as fishing, golf and games with their friends. Escaping North Iowa winters found them in warmer climates, such as Florida, Texas, California and Arizona. She served many years on the Rockwell Cemetery Society and was a member of the Rockwell Senior Citizens.

Valois is survived by her daughter-in-law, Naomi Koester, of Cathedral City, Calif.; a sister, Velma (Lyle) Severe, of Rockwell; two nieces, Linda (Jim) Hage, of Escanaba, Mich., and Jane (Sam) Lou and their children, Michele and David, of Libertyville, Ill. Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband of 60 years, Walter, who died in 1995; their son, Larry, who died in 1990; and a brother and his wife, Ronald and Maurine Ingraham. Retz-Grarup Funeral Home.