AnnaBell married Bernard Herman Ostmeyer on October 28, 1947. Eight children were born to Ben and AnnaBell: Timothy Bernard Ostmeyer (deceased); Carol Ann Cooper of Hoxie, Kansas; Deborah Dea Ochs (Daniel) of Grainfield, Kansas; Margaret Marie Pope (Wally) of Skiatook, Oklahoma; Angela Mary Pope (Jon) of Manhattan, Kansas; Catherine Jane White (Harry) of Monument, Colorado; Charles James Ostmeyer (Cindy) of Milford, Kansas; and Jessica Jo Ostmeyer of Hill City, Kansas. AnnaBell was a Grandmother to 22, Great-Grandmother to 54, and Great-Great-Grandmother to 10.
For over 50 years, AnnaBell nurtured children with love, patience, and compassion. She was a guide and mentor to countless families in Hoxie. AnnaBell’s home was more than a daycare, it was a safe haven where laughter echoed, tiny hands held, skinned knees kissed, and young hearts and minds shaped. AnnaBell had a gift for making her daycare parents and children feel seen and cherished and her impact will live on through the many lives she touched. Parents trusted AnnaBell for the genuine care and connection she shared with them and their children.
When her day at the daycare ended, AnnaBell shared her great musical talent. She found joy as an organist at church and as a piano teacher to many children and their children in later years.
AnnaBell is preceded in death by her husband, Ben; son, Tim; son-in-law, Gregg Cooper; and grandsons-in-law, Adam Creamer and George Modricin, as well as her father and mother; brothers, Bill, Charlie, Francis, Jim, and Bobby, and sisters, Bea and Rose Marie.
Left surviving AnnaBell are her children and their families, Carol, Deb, Marge, Angie, Cathy, Charlie, and Jessica, and her brother, Denny Beckman, of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Mass of Christian Burial iwill be held Saturday, October 18, 2025, 10:30 AM, St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, Hoxie, Kansas with burial in the St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Cemetery. The Visitation will be Thursday, October 17, 2025, 4:00 PM – 7:00 Pm at the Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home in Hoxie, Kansas. Family will receive friends from 5:30 PM untio 7:00 PM. Vigil and Service will immediately follow the visitation at 7:00 at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Cemetery, Sheridan County Benefit wilk or of donor’s choice. Memorials may be sent to the Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, PO Box 987, Hoxie, Kansas 67740.
AnnaBell’s smile, soft touch, and warm heart will be missed by her family and the many people lucky enough to have known her. It was heard numerous times in her last days how her touch to a cheek, a wink, and her radiant smile will be very missed by all those around her.
We held her hands while we prayed, asking Jesus to take her home. We caressed her soft skin. We realized how her hands had served her well throughout the years. Though wrinkled, shriveled, and weak, her hands had been tools used to reach out and embrace life. Words written by AnnaBell on April 23, 2012