Elma K. Kesler
1933-2018
Elma Kathleen Kesler of Frederick County, Virginia passed this life on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at the Winchester Medical Center.
Elma was born August 3, 1933 at the Bowers farm near Largent, West Virginia. She was the daughter of the late Carl W. Bowers and Vesta Bowers Sharp.
After graduating from Paw Paw High School in 1951, she moved to northwest Washington, D.C., where she was employed as a key-punch operator at IBM Corporation.
She married John T. Kesler in 1954. In September, 1955, she traveled with her infant daughter to Bombay, India, where her husband was a foreign service officer. The family returned to Paw Paw, W.Va. in May, 1956. They then moved to Vienna, Virginia, in September, 1961, relocating to Bangkok, Thailand in May of 1966 to be nearer Mr. Kesler who served as a police advisor for the Agency for International Development in Saigon, Vietnam. They returned to Largent, W.Va., in August, 1967, where Elma resided until moving to Frederick County, Virginia in 1998.
Survivors include one sister, Jean Clark and brother-in-law, David T. Clark of Paw Paw, W.Va.; daughter, Stephanie K. Moss and son-in-law, Lang of Wardensville, W.Va.; son, Stephen K. Kesler of Frederick County, Va.; and daughter, Bettina L. Lewis and son-in-law, Mark of Augusta, W.Va.; grandchildren Heather Shroades (Mike), John D. Chambers, Jr. (Jennifer), Vanessa Barrett (Gary), Zachary Lewis and Paul Lewis; great-grandchildren, Matthew Parker, Anna Shroades, Julia Chambers, Jaden Chambers, Cole Barrett and Riley Ann Barrett, one great-great-grandson, Bryson Parker; nieces, Lucinda (Cindy) Clark and Sharon (Sherri) Clark, and numerous grand-nieces and nephews and cousins.
In addition to her parents, Elma was preceded in death by her husband; one sister, Marilyn Ziler and brother-in-law, William Ziler; niece, Connie Rae Boutot; one great-great-grandson, Luke Parker; and special friend, Chip McDonald.
Elma’s family was blessed with a loving, caring matriarch whose words of wisdom and constant support will be sorely missed. (So will her gravy bread.)
A graveside service was held at Enon Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery on Monday, October 29, 2018 at 1 p.m. with Pastor Dawn Reedy of Payne’s Chapel United Methodist Church officiating.
There was a fellowship for family and friends at the Paw Paw United Methodist Church that followed the inurnment.
paid obituary
