Rachel Kostenko

Beloved wife, mother, and friend, Rachel Kostenko of Bismarck, ND, passed away at Bismarck on Thursday, December 7, 2006. Rachel suffered a stroke in April 2004 and her health steadily declined since then. Services will be held at 1:00 PM Monday at Seventh-day Adventist Church, Bismarck with Pastor Clarence McKey officiating. Visitation will be held from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm Sunday at Eastgate Funeral Service, Bismarck. The casket will be closed at the church. Burial will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Bismarck. Rachel Fischer was born September 29, 1921, at Golden Valley, ND. She was the youngest of twelve children, born to Johannes John and Katherine and Katherina Weisenburger Fischer, who both preceded her in death. She was raised and educated in North Dakota and California. After studying at Monterey Bay Academy in the San Francisco area, she returned to North Dakota and graduated in 1939 from Sheyenne River Academy, Harvey, ND. She attended Dickinson State College. Her career days started in Dickinson where she worked as a legal secretary to the States Attorney. In April 1942, Rachel married her sweetheart of five years, Virgil Haas, of Cleveland, ND. Virgil was a 2nd Lt. Air Force flight instructor during World War II. After the war they farmed together north of Cleveland for 15 years. During that time Rachel worked as an elementary school teacher, a mother to four daughters, a domestic engineer, and served the Valley Springs District #2 Township as its clerk for many years. Virgil died of a heart attack, an untimely death, at 38 years of age in 1956. Rachel remained on the farm-ranch running it with the help of their four daughters. She married Herbert "Herb" Knopp, a teacher, from Forbes, ND in May 1959. Their musical groups duets, trios, quartets, sextets, and choirs performed throughout North Dakota and South Dakota for church services, camp meetings, and funerals. Together they ran her farm-ranch for 15 years until Herb died in a pickup accident in 1974. In 1983 Rachel married Wilbert "Will" Kostenko of Butte, ND. They spent summers living at their Butte farm through the summer of 1996. They spent fall to spring at their condo in Bismarck. Rachel's life was filled with service to others. She was a lifelong member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She held various positions including; church board member; decorating committee; chairperson; deaconess; church treasurer; church clerk; Sabbath School superintendent; Sabbath School teacher for adults and for children; VBS leader; and she sang alto in the Cleveland SDA Church choir. She lived in Golden Valley, ND; San Francisco, CA; Dickinson, Grand Forks, Cleveland, Jamestown, Butte, and Bismarck, ND. She traveled throughout Ecuador, S.A., in 1978 while visiting daughter, Judy?s family; traveled some in Canada; and traveled in most of the "lower 48 states." Her greatest pleasure was her family. Some of her favorite pastimes were baking, cooking, entertaining guests well into her early 70s, gardening, interior decorating, reading, singing, and listening to music. Rachel is survived by her husband, Will; her four daughters, Sandra Harder William, Jr, Lincoln, NE, Barbara Barker, Rochester, MN, Judy Korolsky Jack Federal Way, WA, and Deborah "Deb" Davis Jerry, Bismarck, ND; her stepchildren, Amy Kostenko Madsen, Brian of Butte, ND, and Jonathan Kostenko of Portland, OR; two brothers, Walter Fischer of Bismarck, ND, and Theodore "Ted" Fischer of Placerville, CA; nine grandchildren; eight step-grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and five step-great-grandchildren. The family wishes to thank the staff of St Vincent's Care Center for their wonderful care and support. They also wish to thank friends and church family for their visits, phone calls, cards, and prayers. Rachel's family and friends look forward to meeting her again at the First Resurrection, at Christ's Second Coming. In lieu of flowers, remembrances maybe sent to: Seventh-day Adventist Church-VBS1109 N 26th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501.

Rachel Kostenko

September 29, 1921 - December 7, 2006