KINGSBURY – Lilianne Marguerite Kuster, 83, passed away on March 31, 2017, after a long illness. Her family tenderly cared for her in her final days, at her home in Kingsbury.Lilianne was born on July 21, 1933 in Delémont, Switzerland. Her parents were the late Joseph and Germaine Rossé.
During her childhood, her family moved to Herberstwil. While a school girl, she met Valentin Kuster. Lilianne and Valentin fell in love and were married in a mountainside chapel. Together they raised four children. In 1979, the Kusters emigrated with three of their four children to a dairy farm in Kingsbury. The family and the farm grew. Lilianne managed the accounting, fed the calves, kept poultry, and maintained extensive flower and vegetable gardens. Her mastery of all domestic arts was truly impressive and she passed many of those skills on to her children and grandchildren. Lilianne was fluent in four languages. She enjoyed reading and crossword puzzles. Lilianne and Valentin loved dancing together and would sometimes travel to Oktoberfests and German dance club meetings. Otherwise, they could be coaxed to dance on any occasion, even in the living room.
Lilianne was predeceased by her sister, Yvette Meister of Matzendorf, Switzerland.
Lilianne is survived by her loving husband Valentin Kuster; her sons, Daniel of Switzerland; Christian and his wife Ruth of Kingsbury; Valentin Joseph and his wife Amy of Kingsbury; her daughter, Maggie Murphy and her husband Michael of Kingsbury; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Michael Kuster, his wife Kathy and their son Christian Blake of Plymouth, North Carolina; William Kuster and Samuel Kuster of Kingsbury; Christina (Kuster) Stuart, her husband Michael and their daughter Maya of Kingsbury; Tessa (Kuster) Hetherington and husband Geoffrey of Charlotte, North Carolina; Dana Kuster, Amelia Dochak and Elena Dochak of Kingsbury and Jennifer Kuster and Joel Kuster of Switzerland; and her brother in law Hans Meister of Matzendorf, Switzerland; and her nieces and nephew, Marianne Blaser, Lilianne Spätig and Hanspeter Meister of Switzerland.
The Kuster family wishes to thank the many professionals who cared for Lilianne throughout her illness, particularly: Dr. John Stoutenburg, Rebecca Freligh and the staff at CR Wood Cancer Center; the Glens Falls Hospital Infusion Center; the staff at Glens Falls Hospital Tower Two; Dr. Richard Stone, Ilene Galinsky and the clinical trial team at Dana-Farber, Yawkey Center for Cancer Care, Boston, MA; and High Peaks Hospice.
Arrangements have been made with Carleton Funeral Home, Hudson Falls.
There will be no calling hours. A celebration of Lilianne’s life will be announced at a future date.
Memorial donations may be made to the CR Wood Cancer Center, 102 Park St., Glens Falls, NY 12801 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
