Lamira Louise (Koepke) Karsting

Lamira Louise Karsting (nee Koepke), 91, passed away on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Service will be Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Blue Hill, Nebraska with Rev. Harold King officiating.  Burial will be in the Blue Hill Cemetery, Blue Hill, Nebraska.  Visitation will be Monday, July 24, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with family present from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Merten-Butler Mortuary and one hour prior to service at the church.  Memorials can be directed to enCourage Advocacy Center in Hastings, Nebraska (formerly known as SASA Crisis Center; www.encouragecenter.org) or Trinity Lutheran Church (P.O. Box 355, Blue Hill, Nebraska 68930).  The service will be live-streamed on Merten-Butler Mortuary’s website.  To view the service, go to Lamira’s obituary and click the play button towards the bottom of the page.  Condolences may be sent to the family at www.mertenbutlermortuary.com.                         

Lamira was born on April 26, 1932, to Harold and Eda (VanBoening) Koepke at the family home in rural Adams County and graduated from Blue Hill High School in 1949.  For a time thereafter she taught in one-room schools in Adams and Clay counties.  Lamira married Dean Karsting in 1952 in Lawton, Oklahoma, where Dean was stationed after active duty in the Korean conflict.  At the end of Dean’s military service, they returned to Blue Hill, began a family, and resumed management of their farm supply store.

Lamira was a lifelong active member of Trinity Lutheran Church and enjoyed reading, especially Nebraska authors.  A steadfast consumer of news about current events, she regularly shared notable clips with loved ones near and far.  Lamira was an avid walker whose regular presence was familiar to the community.  Even in her later years, she enjoyed baking and couldn’t bear the thought of showing up at family gatherings without a tray of brownies or other confection.

Survivors include four children; Mary Hiller, Gail Kohtz and Doug Karsting all of Lincoln and Phil Karsting of Washington, DC.  She is also survived by six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and two sisters-in-law.  She was preceded in death by her husband and two brothers.

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