Florence Roberta (Porter) KOESTER

KOESTER, PORTER, SALMON, MANDSAGER, NEARY, HUDSON, POLLARD, MICKELSON, JONES, WIEBERG, BARKHAUS, SCHARF

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 4/14/2013 at 13:06:40

August 5, 1923 --- March 24, 2013

Florence R. Koester, 89, of Fort Dodge, died Sunday, March 24, 2013, at Trinity Regional Medical Center. A service honoring Florence's life will be 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, at St. Paul Lutheran Church with the Rev. Nathan Peitsch officiating. Interment will be in Colfax Township Cemetery following the service and luncheon. The visitation is 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Gunderson Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Florence is survived by her children, Colette (Nick) Salmon, Fort Dodge; Sherrie (Dennis) Mandsager, Middletown, RI; Rodney (Ellie) Koester, Mason City; Bradley (Colleen) Koester, Duncombe; and Terry (Joe) Neary, Emmetsburg; 12 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren; her sisters, Opal Hudson, Monroe, WA; LaVonne Pollard, Marshalltown; her sisters-in-law, Betty Mickelson, Duncombe; Leslie Koester, Butte, MT; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Merlin, her parents, Robert and Linnie Porter, her sisters, Helen Jones, Grace Barkhaus, Rachel Scharf, Dorothy Wieberg and her brothers, Milton, Delbert and Gerald Porter.

Florence Roberta Porter, daughter of Robert and Linnie (Messerly) Porter, was born August 5, 1923, on a farm southeast of Fort Dodge. She graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School in 1942 and attended Cedar Falls Teachers College where she received her teaching certificate. She taught in rural schools near Otho and in Colfax Township. On April 12, 1945, Florence was united in marriage to Merlin W. Koester. After World War II, they made their home on a farm east of Fort Dodge. In 1987, Merlin retired from farming and they moved from their farm to Fort Dodge.

Florence was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church where she was active in women's Bible study and Circle. She loved baking and cooking for her family, friends and neighbors, always thinking of others instead of herself. Her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the love of her life. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.