Fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church on Friday, March 13, 2026. Beloved wife of the late Robert P. Orsan; loving mother of the late Christine M. (survived by Fiance Theodore Peterson III) Decker; cherished grandmother of Theodore (Sheana) Peterson IV, Jessica and Brandon (Fiance Marissa) Decker and great-grandmother of Hailey Peterson; daughter of the late William and Frances Dreste; sister of Albert (Chris) Dreste and the late James Dreste, William Dreste, Raymond (Survived by Joan) Dreste, Carol (Tom) Lyons, Cecilia (Survived by Bill) Ruzicka, Don “Duck” (the late Vera, and suvived by Patricia) Dreste; our dear aunt, great-aunt, cousin and friend to many.
Services: Funeral at KUTIS SOUTH COUNTY CHAPEL 5255 Lemay Ferry Rd on Tuesday, March 24, 10 a.m. Burial J.B. National Cemetery. Visitation, Monday 4-8 p.m.
Brandon and Jessica, I am so sorry for your family’s loss. I never met your grandmother. But I know she treated Marissa just like family. Her Grandma Perry died 15 years ago and both your mom and grandma were so like her. Marissa is very lucky to know all of you.
I am very sorry for your loss… When I saw Josephine’s name, it brought back memories of my childhood .. My mom, Adele and Uncle Tony Jaworoski were cousins with the Drestes and I remember them all! I can still picture Josephine, Carol, Ceil (that’s what I remember her being called back then) all the Dreste boys and of course Aunt Francie…. Please give my condolences to the whole family. š
Brandon, Jessica and Ted,
Iām very sorry of this unexpected loss. You guys have been through so much in the past year. Condolences and prayers.
Elizabeth Rayburn
So sorry for your loss, prayers for all. I remember all the wonderful times our family shared all my life. She will be greatly missed.
One…two…three……….One Twenty Three…….January 23rd……..January 23rd, 1938, to be exact. That was the date Aunt Sis, Josephine Dreste (Orsan) was born.
When the passing of someone you love occurs, you question a lot, especially when it is so tragic, abrupt, and unexpected. I questioned why? Why did this have to happen to her? Why did this have to happen to our family once again? Why do tragedies happen? It can be maddening when trying to figure out “the why” of these types of things, so instead I decided to ask different questions.
Why did God decide to bless our family with this remarkable woman?
A woman who, at a young age, took on helping her mother raise her brothers and sisters, a woman who lost her husband too soon and still was able to raise an amazing daughter, a woman who was soooo loved and respected by all who were in her presence.
How do I love like her?
She was always so excited to hear how you were doing, what you were doing, and loved us all so much. Though she was a woman of few words and kept things short and sweet, you always felt heard and loved by her as if you had talked to her for hours.
Where did she get all of that strength?
Despite losing her mother, her husband, her brothers and sisters, and just recently her daughter, she still approached this life with such resilience and strength, which has been awe-inspiring. It is what has gotten me through this; her example of what it means to be strong is what can get us all through this. It is who she was and would want us to be.
How can I be as thoughtful as her?
As many of you may know, this woman had the birthdates of everyone in the family down in her calendar, she had cards ready to go for each birthday, and she had post-it notes on those cards reminding herself of the best date to get them in the mail so that they would get to you on time on that exact date. A birthday was not a birthday until you got Aunt Sis’s birthday card in the mail, then all was complete. Her thoughtfulness and ability to make you feel so special with that act of kindness was legendary.
So today I just ask that when you all see the numbers…… one…..two…..three or one twenty three……..or you notice it is January 23rd, that you honor my Aunt Sis with a smile and that you keep her spirit going by blessing others with a kind, thoughtful and strong heart, as she has blessed us with hers for 88 years.
Thank you and love to you all!
Sincerely,
Josephine’s/Aunt Sis’s Goddaughter, Carol