Willa M. Ottersbach

Willa M. Ottersbach (nee Blankenship), of Saint Peters, Missouri, passed away Sunday, March 5, 2023, at the age of 92.  Loving wife of 68 years to the late David M. Ottersbach; beloved daughter of the late Doyle and Frances Blankenship; devoted mother of Cheryl (James) Peppers and Linda (Harry) Matoushek; cherished grandmother of Elizabeth Matoushek, James (Ashley) Peppers, and David (Barbara) Peppers; treasured great-grandmother of Truman Peppers, Henry Peppers, August Peppers, and Benjamin Peppers; dear sister of Roy (Mary Lou) Blankenship.  Willa was also preceded in death by her siblings, Timothy Blankenship and Mary Ellen (Stan) Stankiewicz. 

Willa was a great woman of faith and a community missionary in her neighborhood.  She loved sharing the Word with anyone she met, and everyone knew about Jesus by the time they left her home.  She was also the youth minister at church, and she held bible studies for the kids every week in her home.  

In her younger years, Willa studied opera and loved singing.  She sang at weddings and at church in the choir.  As a homemaker, she loved having people over and she made everyone feel welcome in her home, especially the neighborhood kids.  She enjoyed baking and made the best cakes.  She could also cook up a pretty good meal with a squirrel, rabbit, or frog that her husband brought home from hunting.  

Willa enjoyed doing jigsaw and crossword puzzles, and she liked to crochet in her spare time as well.   She was a cookie buff and had to have them by her bedside each night, which gave her the nickname "Cookie."   

More than anything, Willa loved being with her husband and they did everything together.  He was her knight in shining armor for more than 68 years.  She made sure they stayed healthy with daily walks around the mall, about 3 miles per day.  

Willa will be remembered for her love of her family.  She was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.  Memorials may be made in Willa's name to Sts. Peter and Paul Food Bank.  

Baue Funeral Homes is currently following CDC recommendations regarding mask and social distancing policies.