Kresti A. Lyddon (Voelker)

Kresti Lyddon, beloved sister, wife, aunt, cousin, niece, and friend, and quilter extraordinaire. The world is a little darker following her passing on September 13, 2026. Kresti fought her cancer and all the complicating conditions with strength and faith in God, her doctors and all the wonderful care givers. Her best care giver was her beloved husband, Jay Voelker, who survives her. Her heart finally gave out early in the morning of September 13 while hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia. 

Somewhere she picked up a love of hippos, and her collection of them ranged in size, color, and materials. Cookie jars, stuffed hippos, ceramics, and lots of fabrics with hippo motifs were throughout her home. 

Kresti Ann Lyddon was born on September 10, 1959, surprising her parents, William and Claudia (Smith) Lyddon and sister by arriving two months before she was officially expected. As a strong, robust 7 pounds 10 ounces she was no premie. As her nearly eight-year-old sister, Jan Lyddon was elated to be able to hold her on the drive home from the hospital - well before the days when every child was safely ensconced in a car seat. She was sleeping sweetly, bundled in yellow fleece.

 The family moved to a new, and not fully finished house in Burnsville when she was not yet walking. With unfinished plywood floors, she quickly learned to walk rather than crawl! It didn’t take long before she was running, chasing kittens, and attempting to keep up with the older kids in the neighborhood. She cared for those kittens too: giving them a chance to swim in her pool until Mother rescued them, and providing them a thrilling dive down the clothes chute (landing softly on the pile of clothes below). The kittens all survived, and she also became better at keeping up with the older kids, even gathering a cadre of friends her own age. Kresti was a classic extrovert, always meeting and befriending people. 

Her resilience and friendliness were significant assets as she and our parents moved several times during high school for job transfers. A wonderful opportunity arose during one of those when she was invited to live with a family in France to help their daughter learn American English. Her French language improved as she attended the local high school for several months before transferring back to the US. 

The University of Minnesota and Alpha Chi Omega shaped her early adulthood. After completing her degree, she maintained her ties to the sorority for several years. She began her career which led to specialized work as a registration specialist with various chemical and fertilizer companies. After partial retirement she was retained on contract to provide similar services for a variety of companies. 

Always a fine sewist, Kresti took up quilting with enthusiasm. Her sewing room overflows with the material and equipment for making acres of quilts. She loved stitching on retreats with members of her quilt guild and in friends’ homes. An ongoing project was making pillowcases to donate to an organization that supports children, and, with the quilt guild, finishing quilts to send to Ukraine. 

Together with Jay Voelker, her husband of 45 years, Kresti played in the Forest Lake Community Band and the Forest Lake City Marching Band (she on clarinet), and sang in the church choir. She and Jay had met in a local theater production of Camelot, so they used the music as they entered the church for their wedding on 8/1/81. 

Jay and Kresti shared many adventures on their Honda Gold Wing, or their Mustang convertible. They camped and traveled round the US, enjoying the scenery in the wide-open spaces. Their choir experience also included a trip to France where they performed in Normandy. Their long-time home was beautifully situated on five acres outside of Forest Lake, Minnesota. Jay built the house with some help from Kresti, and together they decorated and cared for it and the yard and gardens. Kresti was an accomplished cook and baker, often preserving the garden produce for use later in the year. When family or friends gathered, she could be counted on to bake or cook something tasty.

 In the last few years Kresti fought lymphoma with strength and humor. Taking an example from her mother, she could even crack and occasional joke about her treatments or her condition. Finally, though, her warm, loving heart failed her. The world is a little darker today, September 13, 2026. 

Kresti is survived by her husband, Jay R. Voelker, her sister, Jan W. Lyddon (Bruce E. McComb), brothers-in-law Todd Voelker (Sue Voelker), Patrick (Cindy) Voelker, and wonderful nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, October 10, 2026 at Mattson Funeral Home, 343 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake, Minnesota. The family will greet friends for one hour prior to the service as well as from 3:00-5:00 p.m., following the service at the funeral home. Memorials are preferred to Blood Cancer United www.bloodcancerunited.org