Cecil N. Koster

The Good Lord finally called Cecil Nicholas Koster home on 12/07/2022, at the age of 97 Years, 1 month, and 8 days. He was ready……

Cecil was born on Halloween, October 31, 1925, the fifth of twelve children to Henry and Susan (Thomas) Koster on a farm south of Cawker City. He shared memories of joy/hardship growing up in the depression and dirty thirties…but still felt grateful for his childhood/large family. He attended schools in Cawker (St. Theresa and Cawker High) but finished his junior and senior year at St. Johns in Beloit, graduating with the class of 1943.

Soon after graduation, Uncle Sam called him up. On December 9, 1943, Cecil was inducted in the US Army to serve in WWII. Cecil received high speed radio training for the Signal Corp in California with deployment as a teletype operator to Germany, where he served until May 9, 1946. Upon his honorable discharge from the service of the country, he returned to California where he was united in marriage to Mary Ulrich on July 9, 1946. Their marriage was cut short with her death on December 1, 1947.

After Mary’s death, Cecil returned to Kansas and helped with various family caretaking needs and jobs until he married a Cawker City native, Martha Mary King, on May 20, 1950. Cecil and Martha parented with Mom as the “good cop” with the ability to stretch a dollar as far as it would go and Dad as the “bad cop “with the iron fist and loud voice. But they did it…and raised seven children! After over 63 years of marriage, Martha passed away on February 19, 2014.

Cecil loved, lived and labored northeast of Cawker City for over 70 years….and his hands showed it. Milking cows, raising beef cattle, and hogs. He cut, split, and stacked wood for the shop stove. He grew a large garden to share with his loved ones. He was very resourceful in fixing things on the farm when money was tight and creative when figuring out how to make churning home-made ice and shelling black walnuts easier. He enjoyed the seasons: spring field work, summer harvest, fall calving and winter feeding the wood stove and livestock. He also was a fan of Bingo and his four-legged companions, especially his last dog Jiggs. He was fortunate to have a job as a substitute rural mail carrier to supplement the income and was able to retire from the USPS after 42 years.

Cecil was preceded in death by his wives; his parents; brothers, Richard, Harold, Charles, Jerome, Raymond and Robert; his sisters; Marcella Hyde and Janice Koster, grandson Jarod Sloan and great grandson Evan Boehner.

He is survived by his children Karen (Norval) Boehner, Bruce, Rebecca Wallace, Nola Sloan, Nina (Brian) Schmitz, Jeffrey (Brenda) and Kent; sisters, Dolores Quenzer and Marilyn Lingg; brother Henry; and in laws, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren, and nieces/nephews too numerous to list.

A vigil rosary service will be at 7 p.m., Sunday December 11, 2022 at St Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be at the same location on Monday, December 12, 2022 at 10:00 am. Interment will follow at Prairie Grove cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church or St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.