Herman Angelus Koester

Herman Angelus Koester was born on September 5, 1933 to Adolph and Marie (nee Hinck) Koester in Avon, South Dakota. He was baptized on September 16, 1933 and confirmed on March 30, 1947. He moved to Iowa in 1942, served in the US Army from 1955-1957 followed by 4 years in the US Air Force Reserves. He was married on November 24, 1957 to Lorraine nee Skow at Immanuel Lutheran, Livermore, Iowa. He was blessed with the birth of 4 children. Suzette Marie Christopher (Dave) of Wentzville, MO, Laurette Alda Koester-Johnson (Dave) of Mesa, AZ, David Allan Koester (Alexa) of Albuquerque, NM and Kolette Kathryn Williams (Billy) of Modesto, CA.

After farming in Iowa for 6 years, in 1963 he joined employment with Eastern Airlines. After 25 years, he took early retirement. In 1988, with his wife, they became the first project of the WELS Kingdom Workers and served 2 years as a WELS lay missionary at Mwembezi Medical Mission near Lusaka, Zambia Africa. Upon returning to the states, he returned to the travel office at Kirtland AFB until final retirement in 2003.

He is survived by his wife, Lorraine, of 62 years, all their 4 children, 18 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, sisters, Henrietta Mueller of Cedar Rapids, IA and Adeline Koester of Cedar Rapids, IA. He is preceded in death by his parents, 4 sisters, Leola, Margaret and 2 unnamed stillborn.