Alice Burt Young-Koester

Alice Burt Cline Young-Koester went ‘over yonder’ at the age of 92. She was born on the family farm on Possum Walk Road in Walker County outside Huntsville, Texas to Alma Lee and Addie Alice Hightower Cline on April 10, 1926.

Burt was an adventurous and inquisitive child who roamed her neighborhood near the college singing for the students for a nickel so she could buy a moon pie. She dreamed of joining the carnival which came to town once a year and become a “Hoochie Coochie” girl. She adored her mother and father.

Burt graduated from Huntsville High School and immediately entered Sam Houston State Teachers College graduating with a Bachelor of Education and also completed a Master of Education in 1950.

She married her handsome high school sweetheart, John Spencer Young, after his service in WWII on December 25, 1946. They were married for 49 years until his death in 1996. They had four children together, Sydney, Lesley, Cristy and John Jr. They loved playing 42 and enjoyed summer family vacations to Galveston. They especially loved traveling to New Mexico, Colorado and Virginia.

Burt began her teaching career in Port Arthur where she taught high school art. She and John also taught in Tomball and then relocated to Bryan in 1959. She was honored to be awarded Teacher of the Year in 1975. She taught in various schools for Bryan ISD until retirement after a total of thirty-three years. She then worked eleven years as a lecturer, supervising student teachers for the Department of Education at Texas A&M University. Quoting her “I would not exchange my 44 years of teaching for any other profession in the whole world. God called me to teach.”

Burt met John H. Koester at a prearranged meeting by their daughters at Luby’s for a LuAnn platter and this began a twelve year marriage and partnership based on their love and mutual respect. They spent their time traveling the United States to visit family and sight-seeing. Many happy memories were made including family Christmas celebrations at their beloved house on Sunset Lake in Huntsville located on the opposite side of Possum Walk Road from where she was born until John’s death in 2012. It was her wish to live independently which she did until her death. She was not alone as her constant “furry” companion, Buddy, was always by her side. Burt was a life-long Christian and member of First Baptist Church-Bryan and formally a member of Central Baptist Church. She was also a member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and looked forward to their Needle Club gatherings with her fellow teachers.

Burt was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Vera Kaiser Huse, Hattie Elizabeth Northrup, Margaret Cline, Jean Saunders Angle; brothers, B.D. Cline and James Lee Cline. Also, husband and father of her children, John Spencer Young; husband, John Herman Koester; and her daughter, Lesley

Young Bekendam.

She is survived by her sister, Joyce Loraine Todd; her daughter and son-in-law, Sydney LeNoir and Bob Gregg; her daughter and son-in-law, Cristy and Tom Boucher; son and daughter-in-law, John and Donna Young; and son-in-law, Steve Bekendam; her grandchildren, Darby Holmes, Lynsey Bekendam Cunningham, Graham Howison, Gene Howison, Addie Bekendam Enloe, Bradie Holmes Young, Bo Bekendam, Lauren Young Eastman, Nealy Lenoir Grody, Erin Young, Logan Young Howard, Colin Young; and 23 great-grandchildren. Also her step-daughters, Jan Koester Vos and Joan Koester Ison; and special friend and caregiver, Polly Fields.

To celebrate Burt’s life, her family has planned a visitation at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Bryan, Friday, September 28th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. This will be followed on Saturday by a private service at Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville, Texas. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Brazos Valley Inpatient Hospice or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

A special thank you to the Home Instead team of caretakers.