Ms. Casteline Lester

Obituary A Celebration of Life – Casteline Lester “If you love the one you’ve lost. You’ll never lose the one you love.” Casteline Lester, age91, of Raytown, Missouri died February 21, 2021. She was born Casteline Williams on September 25, 1929, in Charleston, Arkansas, the first child of Castle Williams and Geraldine Ferguson. She attended Lincoln High School in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where she was named “Ms. Lincoln” in 1947, and became the first member of her family to receive a high school diploma. On March1, 1949, she married George Lester of Barling, AR. This union produced three children, George (Larry), Camillie (Cookie)and Brenda. She later gave life to a daughter Denise (who died in 2011 of cancer) and a son Darren. Casteline Lester was a humble woman. She was a goddess of the principles of self-help and self-determination. Through her devotion to her own five children, she was an inspiration to others in the community who needed nurturing. Cassie’s sweetness was her weakness as she took in the homeless, the addicts and fed the hungry. Like her own children, her special gift to potty train, off-the-bottle and walk before their first birthday was a guaranteed blessing. From our extended family she reared more than 100 children into adulthood and sent each into the world armed with a healthy dose of self-esteem and rising above their sometimes-fragile egos. Casteline Lester was the mother fighting for all others. She had that glorious gift that touched so many lives. Angelic like many of our Moms, her only disease was to please. Forever resilient, she never lost faith in humanity, despite the shortcomings of others. Mom was a shining star whose light never dimmed. She gave us strength when we were weak and in times of despair, she stood by us and made us stand taller. Mom gave so much and expected little in return. She gave you faith if you believed! And if you lost your faith, she gave it back to you. You could never love Mom as much as she loved you. She gave love with a love that was more than just a love. It was a love that shared your love. It was an unconditional love. It was an agape love. It was mustard seed love. We are all so bless to be loved by her. We have learned from Mom that kindness and generosity have no shame, only commitment. We will continue to proudly shoulder her legacy of giving to others, less fortunate than our selves. The St. Luke’s United Methodist Church member is survived by her four children: Larry (Valcinia) of Raytown, MO, Camillie (Jan)Lester-Young of Kansas City, Brenda (John)Madden of Kansas City, and Darren (Maria)Wright-Lester of San Antonio, TX, plus17grandchildren and33great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews. She also leaves one brother, Gary Williams (Roland, OK) and one sister, Dollene Whitley (Fort Smith, AR). Also, incredibly special friends: Mrs. Mattie Persley and Mrs. Emma Williams. May you rest in peace Mom. Stream link mstcsunset.com “To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.” Maya Angelou “My mother’s love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of the greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassions and her intelligence reflected in my own daughters.” Michelle Obama “My mother was and will always remain my greatest hero.” Kamala Harris “Next to God we are indebted to women, first for life itself, and then for making it worthy living.” Mary McLeod Bethune “To be Black and be a woman. To be a double outsider, to be twice oppressed, to be more than invisible.” Julius Lester Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, February 20, 2021 at Mount Calvary COGIC. Visitation 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Interment Forest Hill Cemetery. Due to COVID-19 masks are required. Services provided by Lawrence A Jones & Sons Funeral Chapels. Due to COVID-19, please respect social distancing, face covering guidelines. Temperature checks will be enforced for all guest. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ms. Casteline Lester, please visit our floral store. Read More

Ms. Casteline Lester

December 31, 1969 - February 20, 2021