1956
Anne
2024
Anne Hostetler
March 16, 1956 — June 10, 2024
Anne Harlan Hostetler, devoted daughter, beloved sister, cousin, aunt and loyal friend, died peacefully in her sleep at her home on June 10
th
. She had a prolonged battle with cancer, which ebbed and flowed over the past five years. There were many triumphs but ultimately it just wore her out.
Anne was born in Decatur on March 16 th , 1956. She attended Dennis, French, Wilson and Stephen Decatur schools (as had her father excepting French), graduating in 1974 and then attending Miami of Ohio. After graduating with a BA in 1978, she joined Walden Books as a manager of a store in Indiana. Shortly thereafter, she elected to go back to school to get a BS in Education at Millikin. She moved to Dallas, taught briefly, then moved on to jobs in the insurance world, becoming an accomplished claims adjustor focused on workers compensation.
The call of Decatur lured her back in 1990, and she settled into life in her hometown. She was an enthusiastic volunteer, joining Junior Welfare, working with the Anna B. Millikin Home, Kemmerer Village, the Macon County Historical Society, PEO and many other local groups, oftentimes in leadership positions. If you wanted someone sociable, organized and efficient to get things done, you wanted her on the team.
She was a voracious reader and early adopter of Amazon, and had works from her list of favorite authors delivered on the day they were released.
Her love of books and teaching led to her work within the Decatur Public Schools, initially as a substitute and teacher’s aide, but with several years thereafter as the resource coordinator in the libraries at the Phoenix Academy and at Mary W. French. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of literature for children and young adults. Nothing made her happier than discovering the book or series that would light an interest in one of her students that might lead to a lifetime of reading.
She was the daughter of Thomas King Hostetler and Barbara (Marimon) Hostetler of Decatur, both of whom pre-deceased her, the granddaughter of Joseph C. Hostetler and Beatrice (King) Hostetler, also of Decatur, and Bartlett S. Marimon and Laura (Neet) Marimon of Glencoe, IL. She is survived by her brother, Thomas K. Hostetler Jr (Mega) of Atlanta, her cousins Barbara Beard and James Kauffmann (Cynthia) of Sarasota, FL. Laura Nachtigal, her cousin and the other “big sister” of the family, pre-deceased her. She is survived by niece Laura (Trent) Gilbert of Decatur, GA, niece Erin Hostetler and nephew Mathew Hostetler, both of Atlanta, grand-nieces Avery and Nicole Gilbert and grand-nephews Henry and Austin Gilbert. Also surviving are two friends of sixty and thirty years, respectively, Wendy Patterson of Dallas and Sherri Arnold of Decatur. Their dedication to her well-being is and was an inspiration.
Anne was a caretaker: of each member of her family, of Decatur, her hometown, of the history of her family and its attendant memories and artifacts, of her friends. She was always available to help when needed but reluctant to ask for it, so always waited until it was offered. She was a very generous soul and though these past few years were emotionally and medically difficult, she never complained, just soldiered on. She was inspiring and will be missed terribly.
Services will be held at some future date, followed by a celebration of life at a local establishment to be determined. Contributions in her memory can be made to the American Cancer Society or the First Presbyterian Church in Decatur.
On a different note, for this branch of the family, Anne was the last. On a different note, for this branch of the family, Anne was the last Hostetler to reside in Decatur, her great, great grandfather having moved here in 1854 and buying a house on Prairie Avenue. It has been a long and wonderful history in a great town for which we are ever thankful.
Anne was born in Decatur on March 16 th , 1956. She attended Dennis, French, Wilson and Stephen Decatur schools (as had her father excepting French), graduating in 1974 and then attending Miami of Ohio. After graduating with a BA in 1978, she joined Walden Books as a manager of a store in Indiana. Shortly thereafter, she elected to go back to school to get a BS in Education at Millikin. She moved to Dallas, taught briefly, then moved on to jobs in the insurance world, becoming an accomplished claims adjustor focused on workers compensation.
The call of Decatur lured her back in 1990, and she settled into life in her hometown. She was an enthusiastic volunteer, joining Junior Welfare, working with the Anna B. Millikin Home, Kemmerer Village, the Macon County Historical Society, PEO and many other local groups, oftentimes in leadership positions. If you wanted someone sociable, organized and efficient to get things done, you wanted her on the team.
She was a voracious reader and early adopter of Amazon, and had works from her list of favorite authors delivered on the day they were released.
Her love of books and teaching led to her work within the Decatur Public Schools, initially as a substitute and teacher’s aide, but with several years thereafter as the resource coordinator in the libraries at the Phoenix Academy and at Mary W. French. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of literature for children and young adults. Nothing made her happier than discovering the book or series that would light an interest in one of her students that might lead to a lifetime of reading.
She was the daughter of Thomas King Hostetler and Barbara (Marimon) Hostetler of Decatur, both of whom pre-deceased her, the granddaughter of Joseph C. Hostetler and Beatrice (King) Hostetler, also of Decatur, and Bartlett S. Marimon and Laura (Neet) Marimon of Glencoe, IL. She is survived by her brother, Thomas K. Hostetler Jr (Mega) of Atlanta, her cousins Barbara Beard and James Kauffmann (Cynthia) of Sarasota, FL. Laura Nachtigal, her cousin and the other “big sister” of the family, pre-deceased her. She is survived by niece Laura (Trent) Gilbert of Decatur, GA, niece Erin Hostetler and nephew Mathew Hostetler, both of Atlanta, grand-nieces Avery and Nicole Gilbert and grand-nephews Henry and Austin Gilbert. Also surviving are two friends of sixty and thirty years, respectively, Wendy Patterson of Dallas and Sherri Arnold of Decatur. Their dedication to her well-being is and was an inspiration.
Anne was a caretaker: of each member of her family, of Decatur, her hometown, of the history of her family and its attendant memories and artifacts, of her friends. She was always available to help when needed but reluctant to ask for it, so always waited until it was offered. She was a very generous soul and though these past few years were emotionally and medically difficult, she never complained, just soldiered on. She was inspiring and will be missed terribly.
Services will be held at some future date, followed by a celebration of life at a local establishment to be determined. Contributions in her memory can be made to the American Cancer Society or the First Presbyterian Church in Decatur.
On a different note, for this branch of the family, Anne was the last. On a different note, for this branch of the family, Anne was the last Hostetler to reside in Decatur, her great, great grandfather having moved here in 1854 and buying a house on Prairie Avenue. It has been a long and wonderful history in a great town for which we are ever thankful.
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