Ruth Ann (Pursche) Koester, 82, of Riesel went to be with her Lord early Easter morning, April 12, 2020. A private funeral service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Riesel with Rev. David Burge officiating with internment at Trinity cemetery following. A Covid-19 compliant viewing will be held Thursday, April 16th from 8am to 7pm at Adams Funeral Home in Marlin.
Ruth was born on Monday, August 2, 1937 to Ottomar I. and Anna (Korger) Pursche, the second of two children on the family farm near Otto, Texas. Ruth was baptized into the Christian faith as an infant in the fall of 1937 at Zion Lutheran Church in Otto, and in 1950 was confirmed into the Christian Faith at Zion Lutheran in Otto. Her membership moved to Trinity Lutheran Church in Riesel upon the merge of Zion in Otto into Trinity Lutheran in Riesel in the early 1950’s.
Ruth served her Lord in the church during her younger years as a Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher, typing the church bulletins and assisting her mother and sister-in-law cooking once a week for Trinity Lutheran School. After retirement, she enjoyed her quilting at church, first making quilts for the Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) then using her Thrivent Action Team member benefit to help make quilts for veterans. She had a very special place in her heart for veterans since her husband was an Army veteran, her father-in-law a WWI veteran, her brother a WWII Navy veteran, and her brother-in-law a Korean War veteran. She even spoke of her last Thrivent Action Team Project for veterans a few days before her call to her eternal heavenly home and was ready to apply for her next project to make face masks for veterans during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Ruth attended grammar school at St. Paul school near Marlin and went on to complete high school in Marlin, graduating in 1955. Following graduation, she went to work for the textile mill in Waco and remained there until she married.
On Nov. 21, 1959 she married James “Jimmy” Koester at Trinity Lutheran Church in Riesel. The couple purchased a family farm near Riesel where they were blessed to raise their three children. Ruth helped on the family farm while her children were young. After her children were in school, she went to work for Riesel Athletic Lettering Co. and on to Power’s Embroidery Co. in Waco, and remained working until she retired in 1999. Upon retirement, she returned to the family farm where she enjoyed gardening, her livestock, and grandkids.
Preceding her in death in 2015 was her husband of 56 years, her parents, father and mother-in-law Herman & Frieda (Berg) Koester, brother and sister-in-law Roy and Ruby (Peters) Pursche, her brother-in-law John Koester, and nephew Dwight Pursche.
Ruth is survived by daughters Pamela and husband John Nussman, Sharon and husband David Raesener, and son Darrell Koester all of Riesel; two grandsons: Russell and wife Larissa (Holmes) Mezynski of Riesel and Ryan Mezynski of New Braunfels: one great-grandson Isaiah Mezynski of Riesel; nephew Phillip Pursche of Riesel; nieces Janet (Pursche) Drapela of Riesel, Janice (Koester) Vos, and Joan (Koester) Ison both of Bryan/College Station.
Serving as pallbearers: Russell Mezynski, Ryan Mezynski, Phillip Pursche, John Nussman, David Raesener, and Gary Drapela; honorary pallbearers J.D. Pursche, Cody Drapela and Dylan Drapela.
Memorials may be made to Trinity Sew & Sews, Trinity Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 447, Riesel, TX 76682, or the charity of donor’s choice.
