Ida Kesteloot
April 19, 1948-Feb. 24, 2026
COTTONWOOD–Ida Kesteloot, age 77, of Cottonwood and formerly of Marshall, Minnesota, went to be with her Savior in heaven on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at the Prairie Home Hospice – Lockwood house in Marshall, Minnesota. Mass of Christian Burial is 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cottonwood, Minnesota. Following a reception at the church, interment will be in the St. Clotilde Catholic Cemetery in Green Valley, Minnesota. Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 2, 2026, at the Hamilton Funeral Home in Marshall. The evening will begin with a Rosary at 5:00 p.m. and then conclude with a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will then continue one hour prior to her celebration, from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Prairie Home Hospice in Marshall, Minnesota.
Ida Mae Williams was born on April 19, 1948, in Tyler, Minnesota. She was the daughter of Joseph “Lee” and Amelia “Amanda” Emily Mathilda (Paap) Williams of Russell, Minnesota. She was the youngest of five children and enjoyed telling the story about how her older sister ran away from home because Ida was the wrong color when she arrived. She never let her sister, Bonnie, forget that fact. Ida was baptized and confirmed in the Russell Presbyterian Church. During her youth, her family lived on a farm near Russell and briefly in Tyler before moving back to the same farm. She remained a country girl at heart all her life. She graduated from Russell High School in 1966 and moved to Marshall to become one of Ma Bell’s girls.
She was united in marriage to Dennis Kesteloot on Oct. 28, 1967, in Holy Redeemer Church in Marshall. She and Dennis farmed for 34 years north of Marshall, where they raised six children, until they moved to Cottonwood in 2001. Together, they built a life centered around faith, hard work, family, and laughter. The couple shared over 58 years of marriage together.
Ida treasured being a stay-at-home mom, often welcoming school kids home with fresh-baked rolls or cookies and managed to do so for 17 years early in her married life. Ida worked in many roles, including a Pre-school Teacher at Care-A-Lot Daycare and the Head Start program, Contributor and Photographer for the Tri-County News, a Certified Home Health Aide, a Representative for Rausch Granite Monuments, and a Free Lance Contributor / Author for numerous publications. Even after “retirement,” Ida’s nurturing spirit continued as she spent many years providing daycare for her grandchildren — a role she treasured deeply. Ida had many hobbies and interests; she loved sewing and was an extremely skilled seamstress, she was forever tending and expanding her flower gardens, sharing her perennials and seeds with others, and mentoring upcoming gardeners, she enjoyed baking, journaling, dancing, crocheting, and finding a good bargain at a sale or auction. Ida had a wonderful sense of humor and a contagious laugh that stayed with her until the very end. She claimed to have gotten her sense of humor from her dad and always looked for ways to show others what laughter had to offer. Family was always her first focus and greatest joy, though she also counted her many friends as her rich blessings. She was always proud to be a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Ida’s legacy lives on in the family she loved fiercely, the many children she cared for, and the laughter she shared so freely. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered. Ida Kesteloot died peacefully on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, in Marshall, Minnesota. She reached the age of 77 years, 10 months, and 5 days. Blessed and eternal be her memory.
She is survived by her husband, Dennis Kesteloot of Cottonwood; 6 children, Carla (and Jeffery) Wyffels of Marshall; Craig (and Joy) Kesteloot of Cottonwood; Bradley (and Angela) Kesteloot of Marshall; Dr. Stacy (and Todd) Lewison of Cottonwood; Brent (and Jessica) Kesteloot of Marshall; and Holly (and Eric) Hatlewick of Granite Falls; 11 blessed grandchildren, Jessica Wyffels, Charles Wyffels, Jacob Kesteloot, Isaac Kesteloot, Austin Kesteloot, Dawson Kesteloot, Amelia Lewison, Adrian Lewison, Matilda Lewison, Raylan Kesteloot, Adeline Kesteloot; 5 great-grandchildren; brothers, Bob Williams, Donald (and Darlene) Williams; nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends.
Arrangements by Hamilton Funeral Home in Marshall, Minnesota 507-532-2933 www.hamiltonfh.com