Agnes Kesterson | News, Sports, Jobs

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 2, 2024 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Fort Dodge. Burial will be in Corpus Christi Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4:00-6:30 Thursday at Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Fort Dodge. A family rosary will be held at 3:30 Thursday with the Catholic Daughters officiating.

Sarah Agnes O’Donnell was born on August 17, 1931, the daughter of Hugh and Ann (Carr) O’Donnell and was baptized on August 18, 1931, in the Catholic Church in County Donegal, Ireland. She attended school in Ireland and graduated from high school.

In 1949, at the age of 17, she emigrated to the United States (the Land of Opportunity), arriving in New York City. She continued on to Chicago, Illinois, where she met her brother.

She met her husband, Niles Kesterson, while stationed in the Army in Chicago. She married Niles in 1952 in Chicago on St. Patrick’s Day. They moved to Fort Dodge where they started their family after Niles graduated from Barber College.

After the youngest child went to school, Agnes began a 44-year career at Trinity Regional Hospital in Central Supply and the Lab, retiring in 2012.

While raising her eight children, Agnes was known in the community for her baking skills. She baked bread, rolls, cinnamon rolls and an assortment of desserts. She enjoyed dancing, playing cards, knitting, camping, traveling, working out at the recreation center and spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church until the Catholic Church consolidated into Holy Trinity Catholic Church. She was also a member of the Rosarians and Catholic Daughters.

Surviving her are her eight children: Barbara (Chris) Beyerhelm of Washington, DC, Mary Bennett of West Des Moines, Jim (Kathy) Kesterson of Fort Dodge, Diane Bradley of Fort Dodge, Tom (Darci) Kesterson of Dallas, Texas, Joe (Kim) Kesterson of Denton, Texas, Peggy (Jim) Bryant of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Kathleen Heller of Fort Dodge. In addition to her children, she is survived by 19 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren, her sister-in-law Lene, and several nieces and nephews living in Ireland, England, and the United States.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 42 years, Niles, her son-in-law Jim Bradley, grandchildren Chris Beyerhelm, Jonathan Kesterson, Tyler Hinkle and great-grandchild Vanessa Kesterson, her ten siblings, and her husband’s siblings and spouses.

The children of Agnes Kesterson would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and entire staff at the Marian Home and UnityPoint Trinity Regional Medical Center for the wonderful care they provided their mother during her final days.

Memorial sites are left to the family.