Agnes B. Christ

Agnes Bernice (Schutter) Christ was born to William and Anna Schutter November 5, 1925 in the house of the farm place where she was raised. Agnes was the oldest of eight children, each of whom preceded her in death: Therese, Marvin, Kathryn, Franklin, Leanna, Wilda, and William, who was stillborn. Agnes enjoyed being close to all her many aunts, uncles and cousins throughout her childhood and adult life, always enjoying Sunday impromptu visits to different relatives and all the annual reunions. Agnes' brother Marvin and her sister Leanna were killed in a tragic auto accident when they were children. That same accident severely injured her mother Anna who later died of breast cancer in her early 40s, leaving Agnes as the main reliable helper to her father and for her siblings. As a farm girl, Agnes worked very hard to help with all the housework, cooking, cleaning, as well as helped milk cows, feed the hogs, chickens, ducks and geese her parents raised. Agnes was a skilled musician, having learned how to play the accordion, guitar, piano and organ with only a few lessons from her father. She enjoyed singing German folk music, including polka, waltzes and Christian hymns wit...[more]

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er father, mother and siblings, and singing in church choirs, and was very active as a youth and throughout her life in both Immanuel Lutheran Church, Titonka and St. Paul Lutheran Church, Lakota. Agnes met her future husband Paul Christ at his brother's wedding, where Walter Christ encouraged Paul to "check out Agnes because she'll make you a good wife." Within two years after they met, Agnes and Paul were married on December 3, 1947 during a horrendous ice and snow storm at Immanuel Lutheran Church, and, because of the storm, she and her new husband had to spend their one-night honeymoon in her parents' home which was within walking distance of the church. Paul and Agnes settled on a farm near Lakota, iowa and enjoyed a 65-year marriage before Paul passed away January 2, 2013 at the age of 90. Agnes, 91, died Friday, November 18, 2016, at the Westview Care Center in Britt, where she had been a resident the past four months. Paul and Agnes had five children: William Douglas, Elaine Ann (Hites), Sara Jane (Vriesen), Jeanne Christ (Phillips), and Glenn August. They have enjoyed the love and laughter of many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Grandchildren include Erich and William Hites, Brian Vriesen and Erin Oian, Ariana, Larissa and Leah Christ. Great-grandchildren include: Isaac and Elliott Hites, Blake and Barrett Vriesen, Macie, Lanie and Ben Oian. Agnes and Paul continued the hard-work lifestyle they'd learned as depression-era children throughout their marriage, living frugally and simply. Agnes helped with every aspect of farming including especially the milking of cows and feeding of the livestock and gathering the chicken eggs. She grew a large garden every year, from which she harvested and canned many types of vegetables and sweet corn. Agnes, like her husband Paul, always encouraged each of their children to "get all the education you can," because the depression-era circumstances of their lives made it difficult for them to continue beyond the 8th grade, even though Agnes completed the 9th grade but then remained home to help her father after her mother died. Agnes enjoyed her 91st birthday on November 5th in her room at Westview Care Center, Britt with 20 of her family and extended family around her. Agnes, "Aggie" (Schutter) Christ will be missed and long-remembered by all.