Alice Olivia (Kieschnick) Kaestner, 90, of Sterling passed away in her sleep on Wednesday, January 10, 2018. Visitation will be at Chaney-Reager Funeral Home in Sterling, Colorado, on Sunday, January 14, from 3 to 6 pm. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 am on Monday, January 15, at Trinity Lutheran Church with Pastor James Nash officiating, followed by interment at Riverside Cemetery.

Born at home in Vernon, Texas, on February 16, 1927, to Willie and Bertha (Bodling) Kieschnick, Alice was the eighth child in a family of twelve (six boys and six girls). Alice's job was to bake for the family and she remembered standing on the cabinets to hide cookies on the very top shelves from her always-hungry brothers. Alice attended schools in Vernon and was baptized, confirmed, and married in the same church, Zion Lutheran in Vernon.

"Trust in God for everything and He'll direct your path" was Alice's motto. When Alice attended college in Seward, Nebraska, she got a teaching degree and also met the love of her life, Harold Kaestner. Upon graduation they married and were called by the Lord to serve congregations in Oakley KS, Hereford TX, Kingsville TX, Lubbock TX, and Sterling CO. Harold and Alice made many close friends and special memories in each place.

Growing up, Alice always wanted to be a missionary, and as a pastor's wife, she spread God's word far and wide. Alice and her stair-stepped row of five daughters always sat in the front row at church. She loved to sing and, though her voice may have been a little "off key", she made up for it in volume.

An active member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Alice taught Sunday School, Wednesday School, and VBS for many years. She was a youth group leader, Bible study leader, and a member of the Ruth Guild and Altar Guild. Alice's prolific gardens provided many beautiful flower arrangements for the church's altar.

Alice loved to garden and could grow anything! When her health began to fail, and her family voiced their concern that they'd find her lifeless body in her flower beds, she responded: "That would be a good way to go if you ask me!" Though the church was their vocation, Alice and Harold also loved to vacation. They visited many national parks, enjoying camping with their five young daughters. They built a cabin near Ft. Collins and enjoyed many happy times there with their children and grandchildren.

Alice felt that idle hands were the devil's workshop, so she always kept busy and instilled her Christian work ethic in her daughters. Sewing, cooking, gardening, canning, remodeling, managing rental properties — all were skills that Alice and Harold shared with their family. Life was not all work and no play though, and all the kids and grandkids share lots of happy memories of playing Uno, Canasta, dominoes, and other games around the Kaestner kitchen table.

At about the age of five, Alice learned to crochet and to ride a bike — on the very same day! Though her daughters never remember seeing her on a bicycle, they all can picture her with a crochet hook and yarn as she continued to crochet until the ripe old age of 88. When clearing out her house, her family found hundreds and hundreds of afghans which Alice had lovingly crocheted — along with notes she had taken to help her remember what she was watching on TV. Alice loved a variety of crafts, including sewing and quilting, and many of her projects (along with afghans) were donated to the Good Shepherd Home Sale, foster care children, and other organizations.

Giving gifts brought Alice much joy and she would wrap gifts throughout the year, tagging and hiding them away. Sometimes she'd find the boxes years later and give them to the intended recipient. . . or to someone else. Needless to say, that resulted in some interesting Christmas mornings!

Alice cared for Harold for seven years while he suffered with Alzheimer's. Though this took a toll on Alice's health, she continued after his death in 2005 to garden, crochet, visit with family, and take trips to Branson with her daughters. In 2014 Alice moved to Beehive Assisted Living Center and in 2017 to Devonshire Acres. Alice and all her family were most grateful to the staff at both homes for their loving care and attention.

Alice is survived by her daughters: Marsha (Dave) Schuppe, Sterling, CO; Annette (Al deceased 2013) Unrein, St. George, UT; Roxie (Ray) Ramirez, Crook, CO, Pam (Robert) Christiansen, Salida, CO, and Alicia (Peter deceased 2000) Niemann, St. George, UT; 12 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren, brothers Edward Kieschnick and Willie Kieschnick Jr, Vernon, TX; and sisters Bernice (Kieschnick) Wiederanders, Kingsville, TX; Jeanette (Kieschnick) Graf, Vernon, TX; and Ruth (Kieschnick) Woelfel, Bryan, TX. Grandchildren and their children include: Mike (Jeanne) Schuppe, Commerce City, CO, and their daughters Karyssa, Newport Beach, CA, and Makayla (Sam) Lyons and their son Maddox, Thornton, CO; Jeff (Vicki) Schuppe, Parker, CO, and their children Peyton Schuppe, Adysen Schuppe, Alyssa Slater, Brett Slater and his daughters Kashlynn Slater and Ellie Slater; Lori (Kevin) Fehringer and their children Hailey and Reagan, Sterling, CO; Havila (Jack) Unrein Helmsing and their soon-to-be born child, St. Ignatius, MT; Casey (Gloria Benito Ortega) Unrein and their son Liam, St. George, Utah; Bryan (Sarah) Ramirez and their children Isabelle and Brody, Windsor, CO; Daniel (Erica Brewer) Ramirez and their daughters Adrianna and Aubrey, Iliff, CO; Jennie (Brennon) Watts and their children Kaylee and Brady, Pueblo West, CO; Randall (Renee) Christiansen and their children Owen and Avery, Parker, CO; Aaron Christiansen and children Atraya, Nohla, and Marley, Colorado Springs, CO; Aimee Niemann, Brooklyn, NY; and Ericka Niemann, Rochester, MN. Alice was preceded in death by her parents, husband Harold, her brothers Walter Kieschnick, Louis Kieschnick, Wilbert Kieschnick, and Robert Kieschnick, and sisters Frieda (Kieschnick) Schoppa and Agnes (Kieschnick) Gfeller Albrandt.

Memorial contributions may be made to Sterling's Trinity Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Preschool in care of Chaney-Reager Funeral Home, PO Box 1046, Sterling, CO 80751.