Obituary of Barbara Claudia DeCoster

DeCoster, Barbara Claudia Krause

Age 92, on September 17, 2019, in Minneapolis, surrounded by love. A native Minneapoli-tan, Barbara was born in 1927 to Claude G. and Ellen Brooks Krause, the youngest of four. She graduated from Washburn High, where she recently attended her seventy-fifth reunion. At Carleton College, Barbara attained a degree in zoology (1948) and met her husband, Cyrus C. DeCoster, a soon-to-be professor of Romance languages. The two started out in Northfield MN, subsequently moving to Lawrence KS (1957) and Evanston IL (1969.) Their summers were usually spent at their cabin on Deer Lake, north of Grand Rapids, where they were frequently joined by family and friends. They also traveled extensively, especially throughout Spain. Their small collection of Spanish art was one of their great joys. Cy died in 1999, shortly after their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Barbara was also predeceased by her memorable siblings Frank B. Krause, Jane Olive Andersen, and Richard B. Krause. A homemaker in the finest sense of the word, Barbara was adept at nurturing and an ace at creative hands-on skills, including knitting, sewing, writing, cooking, entertaining, and just fixing things in general. She instilled in her children a firm foundation, while giving them latitude to explore. Her enthusiasm was infectious. She loved swimming, canoeing, animals and, most of all, music, singing for many years as a stalwart member of the Unitarian Church of Evanston choir and the North Shore Choral Society, as well as to her family. Barbara is survived by four children and their spouses: Janine DeCoster of Minneapolis, David and Cathleen Chrystal DeCoster of Lyons CO, Kenneth DeCoster and Susan Bloomfield of W. Kennebunk ME, and James DeCoster and Monica Swihart of St. Louis. Her four grandchildren are Dylan (Jessica) DeCoster, Jacklyn DeCoster (Carlos Piñeiro), Swen Swihart-DeCoster, and Andrea Swihart-DeCoster. She lived to meet her new great-grandchild, Myles, in July. Also special to her were nieces Mary Krause, Jeanne Krause Kosek, Nancy Krause, and Sarah Andersen, and a wide array of other relatives and friends. Services pending. Memorials to the Alzheimer Association or similar organization appreciated.