Kuester clan born with ‘orange blood’ - Fall 2007 Wartburg Magazine - Wartburg College

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Kuester clan born with ‘orange blood’
by Michelle Caldwell ’08


The children and grandchildren of the late Arnold Kuester ‘38, seated, gathered for a family alumni photo earlier this year. They include grandson Adam Kuester ’04, son Charles Kuester ’75, daughter Lynn Kuester Ness ’73 and granddaughter Katy Kuester ’07.

In 1935 Arnold Kuester weighed his options. He could attend St. Paul’s Seminary in Minnesota or Wartburg College in Iowa.

The teenager, raised on a farm in Riplinger, Wis., wanted to pursue ministry. After engaging in conversation with a Wartburg students at an event, Kuester decided to be a Knight. Joining the football and baseball teams, he eventually changed his major to biology and picked up a coaching endorsement.

Through the years, Kuester, who passed away in April, and his family regularly returned to Wartburg for Homecoming and sporting events. He and his wife, Myrna, brought their children to cheer on the Knights.

“I was exposed to Wartburg at a very early age,” said Charles Kuester ’75 of Everly, Iowa. “I was always impressed with their class and professionalism when walking through the campus.”

This professionalism was enough to ensure siblings Charles and Lynn Kuester Ness ’73 would attend Wartburg.

The siblings may have thought moving on to college meant separating, but that was far from the case. Close in age, they lived across the hall from each other in the Manors.

Charles said some parties were all day events. “Cartoon parties were a big thing when we were in college; we would prep at 6 a.m. with breakfast and then go to the athletic events together as house.”

Like his dad, Charles played football for the Knights and obtained his coaching endorsement. Lynn went on to major in music education and is an elementary school teacher in of Prescott Valley, Ariz.

Charles also followed his father into a career in education. He is principal at Royal-Clay High School.

He remains impressed with Wartburg’s “tremendous alumni base” and quality students. “There is no better place to get an education than Wartburg—that’s the bottom line!”

Like their father, Charles’ children took up residence in the Manors when they attended Wartburg. Adam Kuester, now of Cedar Falls, Iowa, graduated in 2004. His sister, Katy Kuester ’07, enrolled that fall.
“I grew up with ‘orange blood,’ so it kind of transferred over. I came here so many times to see my brother and fiancé, so it was always in the back of my mind to come here,” said Katy, whose fiancé, Ben Thomsen ’06, also attended Wartburg and played men’s golf.

There was never any pressure to keep the Wartburg tradition alive, said Adam. Instead, he was encouraged to explore his college options and find that “fit.” He credits the personable environment and welcoming faculty and staff with helping him select Wartburg.

“The biggest reason my family wanted me to come to Wartburg was because they all said it was the best four years of their life,” added Adam, who agrees with their assessment.

Although Adam’s times at Wartburg were different than his dad’s days of bellbottoms and disco music, Wartburg has always been a part of the family’s consciousness.

“It’s evident that Wartburg is looking to the future,” said Adam. “When the time rolls around when my children are deciding where to go to school, I could definitely see them choosing Wartburg. It was a great school when my grandfather was there, it was even better when I was there, and I can only expect it to be that much better 20 years from now.”