Esther Keese

Esther Mary Keese, 98, widow of Alton Keese, died January 27, 2014 in Brenham. A Funeral Mass is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, January 31, 2014 at St. Mary''s Catholic Church in Brenham, with Fr. Ernesto Elizondo, Celebrant. Burial will take place in the Holy Rosary Cemetery in Frenstat at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Memorial Oaks Chapel, with a Rosary to be recited at 6 p.m. Esther Keese was born Sept. 9, 1915 in Deanville to Vincent and Julia Theresa Popek Ofczarzak. She was raised in the Birch Community and resided in Houston for 22 years before making her home in Brenham. On March 30, 1937, she was married to Alton B. Keese at Sazcred Heart Catholic Church in Houston. A member of St. Mary''s Catholic Church, she was active in the Brenham Deanery Council of Catholic Women, and the Catholic Daughters of America. A volunteer with the Hospital Auxiliary Services, she was also active in Bread Partners of Washington Co. Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Charles and Nelda Keese, and daughter and son-in-law Tammy and Clay Good; grandchildren: Kathleen Bedrich and husband Thomas, and Susan Nienstedt and husband, Greg; William Good, and Daniel Good; great-grandchildren: Jeremy Bedrich, Lucy Nienstedt, and Lily Nienstedt; sister, Jean Matelski, brother Alton Ofczarzak, and a sister-in-law, Vlasta Ofczarzak. Esther was preceded in death by her parents, Julia and Vincent Ofczarzak, her husband Alton Keese; brothers and sisters-in-law Ben and Marcella Ofczarzak, Daniel and Doris Ofczarzak, Ernest Ofczarzak, and Jimmy and Mary Ofczarzak; sisters: Helen Poehl and Batch Drachenberg, Julia and Aubrey Houston, and Jimmy and Lauraine Seidler; brothers-in-law Garland and June Keese, and Lynn Keese; sisters-in-law Nelline Boyd and Janette Ofczarzak. Serving as pallbearers are Bill Keese, Alton Ofczarzak, Mark Ofczarzak, Michael Poehl, Gary Beach, Jay Barrow, Ernest D. Ofczarzak, Bobby Houston, David Ofczarzak, and Darrell Ofczarzak. Memorials may be directed to St. Mary''s Catholic Church of Brenham. Funeral arrangements for Esther Mary Keese are entrusted to Memorial Oaks Chapel, 1306 W. Main, Brenham. To post a tribute to the family, visit www.memorialoakschapel.com.