Frances Irene Kester passed away on Sunday, February 9, 2020 at Brooklyn Community Estates in Brooklyn, Iowa. Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 14, 2020 at 10:00 at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home in Montezuma. Interment will be held in the Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 13, 2020 beginning at noon with the family present from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Memorials in Irene's name may be directed to the Activities Fund at Brooklyn Community Estates. Holland-Coble Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Frances Irene Kester, 79, was born on May 6, 1940 to Edward and Ollie Phipps Onthank near Grinnell, Iowa. She was one of eight sisters. She attended Frog Pond Country School and Grinnell Public School. On August 4, 1956, Irene was united in marriage to David Kester near Ewart, Iowa. They were the parents of three children, Eddie, David and Carla. They lived in Newton and Irene worked in the kitchen department at Berg Elementary School. She later worked at DeLong's and then retired from Sig Manufacturing in Montezuma in early 2001. After retiring, Irene cared for her grandkids. Family was very important to her and she enjoyed spending time with them and attending all of their activities. She and David enjoyed camping at Red Rock, cooking, bowling, baking cookies, watching her soaps, crocheting, making blankets, and gloves and mittens for her grandchildren when they were little.

Irene's memory will be honored by her loving husband of 63 years, David; her daughter, Carla Sue Kester; her grandchildren, Candace (Patrick) Kriegel of Malcom, and Cody (Sam) Guyer of Tampa, Florida; her great grandchildren, Alexis Timm, Bryanna Timm, Rachelle Timm, Scarlett Kriegel, Jentri Kriegel and Stetson Kriegel; her sisters, Molly (Dick) Saunders of Grinnell and Grace Davis of Marshalltown; as well as many friends and relatives.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Ollie Onthank; her sons, Eddie Kester and David Eugene Kester, Jr.; her sisters, Rose Johnson, Elsie Van Gorp, Mildred Claybrook, Darlene Hamor and Mary Doris Onthank in infancy.