Anna Catherine (Van Hoof) DeCoster, 93, Appleton, formerly of Freedom, passed away on October 3, 2020. Anna was born on August 30, 1927 in Kaukauna, daughter of the late John and Rose (Green) Van Hoof. On June 26, 1954 she was united in marriage to Lawrence J. DeCoster in Freedom. They celebrated 29 ½ years together before Lawrence passed away in 1984.

Anna was a strong Catholic who was very active in church life. She taught religious education for 25 years at St. Ed's in Mackville. She lived by the golden rule and made sure that 'Treat others as you want to be treated' was the first lesson she taught her catechism students every year. Her passion for teaching could be seen in the loving way she interacted with children. Anna also loved music and was the organist at St. Ed's for more than 20 years.

Anna was an extremely generous and giving woman who was dedicated to doing something good in the world. This was evidenced not only in how she helped her family and local community but also by her generosity to people in third world countries. With guidance from the Lord, Anna participated in a number of mission trips. These included trips to Kenya, Jamaica, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, St. Lucia and the Dominican Republic. The trips helped her realize that even though she might not be able to help all the people of the world, she could certainly help a few.

So, Anna did what she could. She donated money which helped to secure water wells in the Caribbean and Latin America, dig a cistern in Nicaragua, build school houses in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, remodel an orphanage in Guatemala, construct a boys' home for 160 boys in Jamaica, build 12 single family homes in Haiti and establish a tilapia farm in the Dominican Republic so the people could feed themselves and then sell what they didn't need.

Anna's generosity spilled over to include opening her home to those in need. Whether it was to a relative who needed a place to stay or immigrants who needed some time to get on their feet, Anna was there. Once, a priest in need of rest stayed with her for a month. Another time four teens from St. Lucia spent five weeks with her. Anna and a sewing teacher taught the girls sewing while the boys were taught to operate a lathe to make furniture. Anna sent two sewing machines and a lathe back with them to St. Lucia.

Anna will be sadly missed by her children, Paul DeCoster (special friend Judy Culligan), Appleton, John (Gretchen) DeCoster, Sturgeon Bay, and Jean (Bill) Moore, North Carolina. She will be lovingly remembered by her seven God children: Donna, Anna, Nick, Mike, Patty, Jim and Rachel and her two honorary grandsons, José and Miguel.

She is survived by sisters Lillian Van Wychen and Marian Ragen, sisters-in-law, Liz Van Hoof, Ruth DeCoster, Evelyn Carlson, Anna DeCoster and Peggy DeCoster and brother-in-law Leo DeCoster.

In addition to her parents, mother and father-in-law, Leonard and Anna DeCoster, and her husband, Lawrence, she was preceded in death by an infant sister, Therese, her brother Joseph and his wife Catherine Van Hoof, brothers Donald Van Hoof and Norbert Van Hoof, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Lorraine and Francis Demerath, Marie and Robert Sievers, and Della and Robert Vande Loo, brothers-in-law Norbert DeCoster, Mark DeCoster, Jerome DeCoster, Ronald (Red) Ragen, Anthony Van Wychen and Willard Carlson, and sisters-in-law Muriel DeCoster and Beverly DeCoster.

Anna's family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Nicole Riesterer and the entire staff at Renaissance Assisted Living in Appleton for their care and compassion that went above and beyond all expectations.

Due to the ongoing Covid pandemic, a celebration of Anna's life will be held at a future date.  Please remember her in your prayers.

In keeping with her life's mission and in lieu of memorials, please make donations to:  Leaven Fox Cities (1475 Opportunity Way Menasha, WI 54952, www.leavenfoxcities.org/donate ) or Food for the Poor, Inc. (6401 Lyons Road Coconut Creek, FL 33073, www.foodforthepoor.org).