JoAnn Lester, 64, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 29, 2011, surrounded by her family in Houston, Texas.

She was born Nov. 1, 1946 in Breese, Ill., to Ferdinand and Martha Bruegge (nee Timmermann) and was the oldest of four siblings. She married Rick Lester on March 9, 1992, and he survives in Houston.

She graduated from Mater Dei High School in Breese, Ill., and earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Webster University in 1968. After graduating, she moved to Chicago where she worked for the Florsheim Shoe Company and later in the classroom, teaching art to junior high students in Itasca, Ill.

In 1973, she moved to Houston, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the University of Houston and became a member of the American Society of Interior Designers. She then joined Sunnyland Furniture as a commercial interior designer where she would work for nearly 20 years, and most importantly, where she would meet her husband, Rick.

JoAnn loved her family "big" and she told them so, often. Never one to miss a celebration, she tended to birthday cards, anniversaries and holidays with a fierce devotion. She was an artist and a homemaker who took great pleasure in life’s small details. Whether it was to revel in the success of a summer tomato crop, or to share a favorite family recipe, she cherished visiting and laughing with those that she loved.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by stepson Jo Ed Lester and wife Rose, and a granddaughter Brianna Lester; one sister, Anita Martinez and husband Luis of Florissant, Mo., ; two brothers, Robert Bruegge and wife Victoria of Glen Carbon, Ill., Mike Bruegge and wife Sheila of Champaign, Ill.; a brother-in-law, David Lester of Houston, Texas; and her nephew and six nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Gene and Mary Lester; and a sister-in-law, Maxine Bruegge.

A funeral mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, November 4, 2011, at St. Dominic’s Church in Breese, Ill. with Rev. Patrick Peter officiating. Burial will follow at St. Dominic/St. Augustine Cemetery in Breese, Ill.

Friends may call from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, November 3, 2011 and 8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. on November 4, 2011 at Hempen Funeral Home in Breese, Ill.

Memorials may be made to the Mater Dei Art Department and will be received at the funeral home.