Louise Ruth Cheney

Louise Ruth Cheney – of Kingwood, TX and East Hampton, NY – went to be with the Lord on July 28, 2023. She was born on September 24, 1938, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She was 84 and was still as fabulous as ever. Louise is survived by her husband of 46 years, David Cheney who was by her side to the very end – her two children (and spouses), Corinn Price (Joe Price) and David Cheney II (Natalie Cheney) – and her younger sister who always loved to remind her of that fact, Irene Raabe. She was blessed with six beautiful grandchildren whom she cherished daily, Lexi, Jake, Reese, David, Allie, and Grace. When speaking of her family which was of utmost importance to her, she would smile and say, “I thank God that I am so blessed.”

Louise was not only blessed, she was a blessing to others. She made every person feel special. She asked the Lord to see each person as He saw them and to use her to show them His love, grace, and mercy. And did He answer her prayer? By the testimonies given from those whose lives she touched, that would be a resounding “Yes!”

FROM MANITOBA TO TEXAS, VIA CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK

Louise comes from a long line of German Mennonites who migrated from Germany to Russia and finally settled in Manitoba. Her dad whom she adored, Henry Esau, was a quiet, godly man who ran a large farm in Headingley, along with her mother, Helen. Louise loved growing up on the farm. When her kids or grandkids were learning to drive, each would be told the story of how she learned how to drive when she was 12 on her dad’s John Deere tractor. This was often followed by the classic story of having to ride a horse five miles to school in the snow with younger brother, Jake. Anything with her brother, Jake, was an adventure to say the least.

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, she attended nursing school and became a labor & delivery nurse. It was here that she met and married her first husband, Victor Horch. Louise’s dream was to move from cold, snowy Winnipeg to warm, sunny California. So promptly after marriage, they packed their bags and headed to the golden state. They settled in Glendale and Louise became pregnant with her first child, Corinn. She was so excited with the news that she walked down the street telling everyone she could find – then promptly went to Bob’s Big Boy for a big juicy burger, one her favorites.

In 1972, after her divorce, Louise met David while trying to secure a car loan. David, who was the branch manager, knew better than to give a loan to someone with very little credit, but he just couldn’t resist this beautiful blonde. They were married four years later, and Louise welcomed her second child into the world, David II (aka, Nipper). It’s amazing how great he turned out considering she didn’t know she was pregnant and went to the doctor thinking she had a tumor. We’re all glad she had a beautiful blonde baby boy instead.

When their son was two, Louise and David made plans to move to The Hamptons where David was from. David went ahead of the family to find a house and to begin his job. In the summer of 1979, Louise, Corinn, toddler David, and their cat drove their un-air conditioned Honda Civic from California to New York. Between the gas rationing and dodging tornadoes, it was quite an adventure, but by God’s grace they made it to Southampton. Louise lived in The Hamptons for 42 years. When her daughter moved to Kingwood, Texas in 1997, she would often tell her, “Save a place for me – I’m coming to join you!” She loved the warm weather, the great Mexican food, and of course, the enormous margaritas. In 2021, that dream came true, and she moved into “the cottage” at Corinn & Joe’s house to continue her legacy of blessing all those around her.

TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS

Even though Louise had followed the Lord all her life, it was in the mid-80s when her walk with the Lord took a dramatic turn. In 1984 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even after the mastectomy and chemotherapy, the prognosis was grim. She took a serious look at her life and laid it all at Jesus’ feet. She then picked up His Word and never let it go. One day as she was crying out to Him, the Lord gave her Psalm 103 and told her He would heal her. That is in fact what He did. The doctors were without words when one month she was riddled with cancer, and the next month she was cancer free. She made them document it as the miracle it was. From then on, she was completely and totally His.

She shared her testimony and her love for the Lord with anyone who would listen (and even with those who wouldn’t). Most importantly, she was determined that her children would know the Lord and walk in His ways. If either child needed an attitude adjustment, she’d say, “Go to your room and get straight with God. Let me know what He says.” It was through these times and times of praise and worship together that her children learned to hear from God for themselves. Nothing made her happier than to go over the daily “spiritual reports” with her children. Anytime a challenge came their way, they would call it a “faith adventure” and would use God’s Word to navigate to victory. Louise love to celebrate by singing, dancing, and playing her tambourine before the Lord.

FAMILY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

Louise was completely committed to her family. She loved family get-togethers, the louder, the better. From Monday night football fondue parties, to Sunday dinners, to birthday shopping adventures, every opportunity to have fun with family brought her joy. Anything the family wanted to do, she was up for it as long as they were together, and bonus if there was wine included. But the peace, love, and unity experienced by Louise’s family didn’t just happen automatically. It was birthed out of many prayers and petitions offered up by her over the years. She fought for her family in the spiritual realm every day and would not allow discord or strife to find a place with them. The Lord promised to bless her children and her children’s children and gave her the stars in the sky as sign of His faithfulness. Although Louise has passed on beyond the stars to heaven itself, we can look at the stars every night and be thank God that we will see her again.

REMEMBERING LOUISE

Friends are invited to the Visitation and Celebration of Life Service with the family.

Visitation: Tuesday, August 1 at 4:00-6:00 pm

Celebration of Life Service: Wednesday, August 2 at 10:00 am

Both services will be held at Kingwood Funeral Home, 22800 Highway 59 North, Kingwood, TX 77339.

In honor of Louise, donations may be made to Mission Northeast, www.missionne.org

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