Anyone who took a yoga class in the 1960s, ‘70s or ‘80s in Perrysburg, Bowling Green or Toledo or visited the Kerr House or belonged to Girl Scout Troop 762 or 439 probably remembers Laurie Hostetler, said her daughter, Sally, a reporter for the Messenger Journal from 1976-78.
Mrs. Hostetler turns 90 on February 27, and the family invites everyone to send her a birthday card. “She lived in Perrysburg from 1955 to 2017, and she wasn’t idle for a moment of that time,” her daughter noted.
Mrs. Hostetler and her husband Dave raised five children—Dan, Susan, Dean, Dirk and Sally—as well as many cats, a dog named George and a wild iguana, Shelob, whom she had for 13 years.
Service to the community has always been a priority for Mrs. Hostetler.
She was an active member of First United Methodist Church, where Dave taught adult Sunday school and the children attended youth group and sang in the choir.
She was active in many of her children’s activities, serving as room mother to many classes at Elm Street School and as den mother to quite a few dens in Boy Scout Troop 110, of whom Dave was scoutmaster.
“As the leader of Girl Scout Troop 439, she organized a trip to Washington D.C. and the Jersey shore,” her daughter said. “Years later, she led Troop 762 down the Grand Canyon and throughout the Southwest. Both troops raised money for those trips by running the concession stand at the Perrysburg pool.”
In 1965, Mrs. Hostetler decided to study Hatha Yoga after writing a speech about it for her Toastmistress Club. “She began with a class at the Beehive, which led to a career, eventually studying with BKS Iyengar and getting her teaching certificate from Indra Devi. To this day, at 90 years old, mom still stands on her head,” Sally noted.
Mrs. Hostetler served as an elections poll worker in Perrysburg for many years, her daughter shared. “She also helped organize the art shows for the American Field Service exchange program, and participated in many other community organizations.”
After founding the Kerr House in Grand Rapids in 1977, she spent three years renovating the Victorian manor in authentic style.
“She then served as owner/director for 35 years, incorporating three of her dearest loves: antiques, yoga and health,” Ms. Hostetler said, adding that her mother would be thrilled to receive cards to help celebrate her 90th birthday.
“Ninety is a big milestone, and due to this pandemic, we cannot throw her a party, so a card shower will have to do,” she noted. “She’d love to read memories and anecdotes from people. And, she’d enjoy hearing from people she doesn’t know, too.”
Send cards to Laurie Hostetler, 1250 West Central Road #326, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005.