Boyd Lester Kuester
KUESTER, RIEPE, BARNES, PALMER, VOGTS
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 1/29/2024 at 08:05:19
Boyd Lester Kuester, 84, died peacefully Sunday, December 24, 2023, and is now Home at last.
A Memorial Celebration will be held at 1 PM, Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at Parkview Church in Iowa City, Iowa. Visitation will be Monday from 2 PM to 4 PM at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City. Graveside committal will be at 1 PM, Wednesday, at Pleasant Township Cemetery in Griswold, IA.
Boyd was born January 17, 1939, in Atlantic, Iowa, the son of Lester Clarence and Lillian Gail (Riepe) Kuester. He grew up on a farm in Griswold, Iowa, and went to work for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. He went on to attend Minnesota Bible College and graduated with a degree in theology. He was ordained by Central Church of Christ in Griswold, Iowa, in 1967. Boyd later received his Master of Arts - Religious Leadership degree from Drake University. He also completed the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines and became a licensed Chaplain in 1990. Throughout his life he continued to further his education in a variety of seminary and Christian education courses.
On August 27, 1965, Boyd married Bonnie Barnes in Crookston, MN. They met at Minnesota Bible College and celebrated 58 years of marriage this past August.
Boyd pastored congregations in Anderson, Indiana (1967-1971), Austin, Minnesota (1971-1979), Columbus, Indiana (1979-1986), Indianola, Iowa (1986-1989), and Cedar Falls, Iowa (1992-1999). He was a chaplain at Essence of Life Hospice in Waterloo, Iowa (1999-2001), at Medalion Retirement Community in Colorado Springs (2001-2007), at Branchville Correctional Facility in Branchville, Iowa (2007-2011). Police chaplaincy was Boyd’s passion and he established programs in Columbus, Indiana, Cedar Falls and North Liberty, Iowa.
Even in retirement, he had such a passion for people that he volunteered at several hospitals and churches and donated countless gallons of blood over the years to the Red Cross.
Boyd’s first love was the Lord, but his Bonnie was a close second. Spending time with family was an integral part of his life. He is a life-long fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Minnesota Vikings. He loved everything about cars – shopping for, working on, and washing, even in the dead of winter. In shorts. One of his favorite things to do was go cruising with Bonnie in his convertible.
Boyd is survived by his wife, Bonnie, and their two daughters, Brenda (Jon) Palmer of Bulverde, TX. and Bethany (Jeff) Vogts of Iowa City; and six grandchildren, Jordan (Mariah) Palmer, Ashley Palmer, Heidi Vogts, Hannah Vogts, Lauren Vogts, and Lilly Vogts.
Boyd was preceded in death by his parents; a stillborn infant; and grandson Zachary Palmer.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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