Agnes Marie Ostdiek, age 96, passed from this world on Monday, October 2, 2017.
Born June 10, 1921, in Cheyenne County, Kansas, near Benkelman, NE, to Peter and Mary (Gleason) O'Brien, Agnes was the 9th child of 13; 11 brothers and one sister. Agnes was the last living child of Peter and Mary.
Agnes graduated from Benkelman High School, where she had trained to be a teacher. She passed the state exams and taught elementary school for the next several years, before she and her sister Mary headed to California to see some of the country and help with the war effort, making crystals for walkie talkies at Dines Industries in Santa Monica. After spending a year in California, Agnes returned to Benkelman and resumed teaching elementary school.
Agnes met her husband of...[more]
51 years, Walter David Ostdiek, while he was on furlough during WWII, visiting his family in Benkelman, NE. They married on August 13, 1946 at St Joseph's Church in Benkelman. Walt and Agnes went on to have a large family of 11 children. Life's circumstances brought them to Colorado in 1953. Prior to that move, their children Cecilia, Raymond, Dean, Therese and Leonard were born. Afterward, the "Colorado kids" joined the family: Chris, Anita, Shirley, Fernie, Pete, and John.View Full Online Obituary and Tributes
Agnes and Walt settled in Louisville, CO in 1961, after farming on the eastern plains of Colorado for eight years. They were members of St. Louis Catholic Church in Louisville, and the church, the school, and the friends they made there were an integral part of their lives. Agnes had a very deep faith in God which she relied upon in both good times and bad.
Walt and Agnes retired to Benkelman in 1994 and enjoyed the slower pace of life and being closer to their siblings again. Agnes remained in Benkelman for 10 years after Walt's passing in 1997. Her daughter Cecilia and son-in-law Tom moved there as well. Agnes returned to Louisville, CO in October 2007, and took up residence at Lydia Morgan Apts. on Lincoln Street, where she resided until her passing. She loved the cards, games, and friends she met at Lydia Morgan- learning new ways to stay healthy and fit, like water aerobics and tai chi, for balance, and puzzles to keep her mind sharp. She only occasionally reached out to her kids for help on those! She enjoyed her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren's many visits, activities, and celebrations during these years- always an integral part of her family's focus.
Agnes was preceded in death by her husband Walt, her children Cecilia (Nordeen), Raymond, and Dean, her sons-in-law Jerry Merciez and Tom Nordeen, and her grandchildren Keri Ostdiek and Nick Steele. She is survived by children Leonard, Therese (Ingram) and husband Jim, Chris (Merciez), Anita (Deborski) and husband Randy, Shirley (Valenzuela) and husband Paul, Fernie and wife Dianne, Pete, John and wife Cheryl. She is also survived by 25 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild.
Agnes was a loving wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and friend. She was a caring part of her community, and always had a bright smile, a kind word, and a compassionate heart for anyone she knew. Those whose life she touched were better for it- she gave unconditional love and set an unwavering example of what it means to be a strong and loving parent. The world will be less lively without her in it, but her legacy will persevere. May she rest in Peace.
There will be a rosary beginning at 7:00 PM at St. Louis Catholic Church, 902 Grant Avenue in Louisville on Thursday, October 5, 2017. Family and friends are invited back to St. Louis Catholic Church on Friday, October 6 for a memorial service beginning at 10:00 AM with Fr. Tim Hjelstrom officiating. Family will be gathering in Benkleman, Nebraska at a later date for interment.