Terry Kent Oester

Terry Kent Oester was born June 21, 1951, in Sheldon, Iowa, to Ken and Martha (Van Roekel) Oester and spent his childhood days on a farm just outside of Sheldon. He loved to tell how he went to kindergarten a year early at the one-room schoolhouse just down the road and would listen in to the lessons being taught to “the big kids” and once even answered a question the teacher asked when no one in the class did. His elementary school days were spent in the Sheldon Public Schools.

In 1962, his family moved to Moorhead, Minnesota, where he began sixth grade and creating new friendships and interests. His first job was working in the kitchen at the local Holiday Inn, and he ended up taking over the ordering and cooking before he graduated from high school. His love of creative cooking continued the rest of his life and family and friends were the beneficiaries. It was the thing he missed most when his mobility was severely affected by degenerative damage to his spine. He also missed their travels to Kona.

Terry was a graduate of Moorhead High School and Moorhead State College (now Minnesota State University, Moorhead) and did graduate work at North Dakota State University in Fargo.

On August 31, 1978, he showed up at the back door of Dawn Embretson’s home in Alexandria, Minnesota, where they were introduced by a mutual acquaintance. Three weeks later, he looked over his shoulder at Dawn and asked, “So do you want to get married?”

Terry and Dawn were married June 23, 1979, in Princeton, Minnesota, and traveled to England for their honeymoon. Terry swore they saw every castle and cathedral there.

They welcomed their daughter Mariah into their life at Lake Mary near Alexandria in June of 1980. A few days later, they watched the first televised Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Championship in the shade of their front yard. Each year thereafter, they celebrated their own Breakfast at Wimbledon.

In 1981, the family relocated to Dickinson, North Dakota, where Terry was an economic development specialist for Roosevelt-Custer Regional Council.

1986 brought a move to Fountain Hills, Arizona, where he became a member of the town’s very first Planning and Zoning Commission. His service on the FHUSD facilities advisory committee led to the establishment of the Partnership Foundation that, in turn, led to four trips to China and an agreement with the Beijing Institute of Education as well as correspondence with leaders throughout the world. He especially valued letters from the Executive Office of Nelson Mandela and the Minister of Monbusho in Japan.

In 2016, the family moved to Scottsdale, where Terry became the only male in the household of four generations of females until his mother’s death in 2018.

He is survived by his wife Dawn, daughter Mariah, granddaughter Jalia, and beloved schnauzer Emma at home plus his brother Greg (Lynda) Oester, sisters-in-law Karen (Jim) Drown and Linda Monroe, and six nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Ken and Martha.

His family is especially grateful to cardiologists Kevin Klassen, David Riggio, and Eric Steidley for giving them an additional 27 months of Terry’s love.

At Terry’s request, there will be no services.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to the Mayo Foundation: https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/mchs

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mariposagardens.com for the Oester family.