Anna Fern (Decker) Kurtz

Anna Fern (Decker) Kurtz, of Preston, ID, formerly of Blair County, passed away peacefully Friday morning, Oct. 14, 2022, in St George, UT, after a valiant battle with stomach cancer.

“Annie” was born Oct. 30, 1943, to Mildred Virginia Teeter and Eugene Lafayette Decker of McKee/East Freedom, Pennsylvania.

She was the second oldest of six children.

She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Lemon; her children, Dave, and Lee (Austin), Adamson; two grandchildren, Malia and Logan of St George, UT; two brothers, Fred (Jean) Decker of Roaring Spring, and Robert (Kathy) Decker of Imler, PA; one sister, Wilma (Randy) Hengst of Roaring Spring, one sister-in-law, Kim Decker of Roaring Spring, and many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family across the country.

Annie is preceded in death by her parents, Mildred and Eugene Decker; her elder sister and brother-in-law, Darla and Barry Shaw; and her youngest brother, Bill Decker.

She attended Shippensburg College and became an elementary teacher. She was set up on a date with a handsome young man, Thomas Lemon Kurtz. After setting up her college roommate with his brother, the two couples were married in a double wedding ceremony on June 17, 1967, at his family’s home in Claysburg.

They made Claysburg their home for the next 17 years and welcomed two children: Lee Ann and David Edward.

The family moved west to Utah in 1985. After retirement, they moved to Preston, Idaho, to be near their two grandchildren.

If you were a friend, family, or neighbor of Annie, you were no doubt a recipient of some very fine cooking or beautiful blankets. She was exceptionally creative at sewing, crocheting, crafting, cake decorating, cooking - you name it.

She was a lively member of the “Knit Wits”, a group of ladies who meet in the Preston Presbyterian Church and knit/crochet clothing to send to impoverished countries.

Annie attended the Preston Presbyterian Church and had many precious friends there. She loved to help plan their holiday parties and after service luncheons. When she got sick, it was impossible to get out, but she was blessed to have found The Chosen, a free Christian streaming series about the lives of Jesus Christ and his followers. She felt uplifted and looked forward to the upcoming Season 3premiere. Annie said, “If I don’t make it to Season 3, I’ll have to go see the real live version”.

Her grandchildren are some of the luckiest kids on the planet. As infants, they nicknamed her “Maga” (switched syllables of Gamma), and Maga’s house was a kid’s dream: crafts and cooking so fun they never wanted to come home. Maga loved traveling and photography and passed these passions on to them during their many vacations to Island Park, ID and Yellowstone over the years.

No public services will be held at this time. Her family will hold a private celebration of life.

Annie has chosen to donate her body to a local medical university. She was adamant about this, wanting to continue serving others as she did throughout her life.

In lieu of flowers, she would appreciate donations to (1) The Chosen series to keep this wonderful series in production; or (2) the non-profit group Needs Beyond Medicine that provides relief funds/financial assistance to cancer patients. Annie was blessed by both of these institutions during her battle with cancer.