HAUBSTADT, Ind. — Eloise Margaret Conen, 88, passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 30, 2009, at River Oaks Health Campus.

She was born September 6, 1920, to Anton and Louise (Knapp) Koester and raised on a farm southwest of St. Wendel, Indiana. She was a lifetime homemaker and school cook at St. Wendel School for many years.

She was a member of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church and its Altar Society. She loved her husband, family, cooking, playing clabber and bingo. She enjoyed her time at River Oaks. We will miss her and may God be with her.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years Lawrence Conen on May 18, 1985; sister, Ludwina Eisenhauer; brothers, Urban Koester, Edward Koester, Oscar Koester, Anthony "Junior" Koester; and son-in-law, Larry Elpers.

Eloise is survived by two daughters, Martha (Fred) Kuester of Fort Branch and Carolyn Sue "Susie" Elpers of Haubstadt; five grandchildren, Alana Fleetwood, Shawna Riggs, Ranell Rexing and Craig Kuester, all of Fort Branch, and Tara Reinbrecht of Haubstadt; fifteen great-grandchildren; sister, Sally Barrett of Evansville; brothers, Clinton Koester and Ralph Koester, both of St. Wende and Leon Koester of Evansville.

A Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday, July 3, 2009, at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Haubstadt, Indiana, with Reverend Father Tony Ernst and Reverend Father John Sasse officiating. Burial will follow at the Saint Joseph Cemetery in Evansville.

Family and friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2, at the Stodghill Funeral Home in Fort Branch, with rosary services at 7:30 p.m. Family and friends may also call from 9 a.m. until Mass time at the church on Friday, July 3.