Lois Ruth Karsten

Lois Ruth Karsten, 87, of St. Joseph, passed from this life into her Savior’s arms on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at Lakeland Continuing Care Center, St. Joseph, her home for the last seven years. A Celebration of Life Eternal will be held 10:00 A.M. Monday at Trinity Lutheran Church, Court & Market Streets, St. Joseph. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph. Friends may call from 3:00 until 5:00 P.M. Sunday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran School, Lakeland Continuing Care Center Volunteer Association-St. Joseph or Hospice at Home. Those wishing to sign Lois’s Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Lois was born December 27, 1923 in St. Joseph to Henry & Marie (Frobel) Kasischke. She graduated from Trinity Lutheran School, and St. Joseph High School in 1941. Lois was employed by Montgomery Wards in St. Joseph, where she was the head of the ladies fashion department. She enjoyed trips to New York City to bring back the latest fashions to St. Joseph. She also worked at Wards in Blue Island, Illinois. On June 3, 1951, she married William Karsten and together they enjoyed forty-four years before his passing on July 10, 1995. After raising her family, Lois returned part-time to Sears Roebuck in Benton Harbor, in the hardware & paint department. Lois was a bubbly, loving & wonderful, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother & friend. She was devoted to her husband and family, and an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church where she served on the church evangelism committee and the funeral meal committee. Lois enjoyed baking, and canning fruit & vegetables. Lois will be so greatly missed by her three children-daughter Linda (Pete) Fellows, two sons David & Robert (Brenda) Karsten, all of St. Joseph; five grandchildren-Cheryl (Christopher) Lattak of St. Joseph, April (Jason) White of Stevensville, Tonya Fellows of Houston, TX, Jenna (Michael) Miller of Newport Beach, CA and Kyle Fellows of E. Lansing, MI; three great-grandchildren-Jordan, Mikayla, & Keegan; and long-time friends Margaret Buller & Deana Reschke-both of St. Joseph; and so many friends & loving caregivers at Lakeland Continuing Care Center. In addition to her husband, Lois was preceded by two sisters-Adeline Kasischke & Evelyn Walters, and her brother Henry Kasischke.