Rachel K. Amling,
83, of Valparaiso passed away Monday, May 4, 2015.
She was born April
1, 1932 in Watertown, Wisconsin, to Paul and Vashti (French) Kasten.
She graduated from
Pana High School in Illinois, attended teachers college in Minneapolis, MN,
and taught all eight grades in a one room schoolhouse in Ludell, Kansas
before receiving her B.A. in Education from Concordia College in River
Forest, IL.
Her interest in
natural foods and supplements led to a long and successful career as a
Shaklee distributor. Always a crusader for Christian causes, she headed the
local Lutherans for Life chapter for years and continued to play the organ
for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Otis, IN, until her recent surgery. Her
sweet tooth, penchant for cookbooks and love of children kept her young for
eight decades with special remembrances by the neighborhood children of her
annual “donut day.”
On June 1, 1957,
she married Arol Amling, who survives along with their children: Stephen (Zakia)
Amling of Louisville, KY, Neil Amling of Valparaiso, Doris Amling of
Valparaiso, Daniel (Suzanne) Amling of Valparaiso, Julie Amling of Portage,
Amy (Charles) Saunders of Valparaiso, brother, Richard Kasten of Pana, IL,
sisters: Margaret (George) Moeller of Valparaiso, Mary-Anne Sanders of Pana,
IL, 16 grandchildren: Lauren, Jordan, Sydney, Jessica, Megan, Michael, Eric,
Rachel, Kathleen, Caleb, Garrett, Grant, Preston, Samantha, Ross and Carter
and three great grandchildren: Rhianna, Rose and Jadelyn. She was preceded
in death by one daughter, Lora Amling and two sisters: Caroline Kallas and
Mildred Kasten.
A visitation will
be held Friday from 3 Ð 7 p.m. at Moeller Funeral Home, 104 Roosevelt Rd.,
Valparaiso.
Funeral service is
Saturday, at 10:30 a.m., at Heritage Lutheran Church, 308 N. Washington St.,
Valparaiso, Rev. Thomas Sabel officiating, with burial at Angelcrest
Cemetery.
Memorial donations
may be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. MoellerFuneralHome.com