Rev. Ernest Ellis Kaster

Rev. Ernest Ellis Kaster, 87, passed away peacefully on October 20, 2026, surrounded by family.

Born in Glendale, California, on October 2, 1939, he was the son of Ernest and Dorothy Kaster.

Ellis grew up in Stockton, California and enjoyed sports, music, band and science. In June 1961 he graduated with honors from Pasadena Nazarene College (now Point Loma Nazarene University) and on August 26 of that year, he married Linda Elaine Curry. He went on to earn a Master of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City in 1964. Ellis and Linda celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in August 2026.

Ellis was best known as “Pastor Kaster”. His ministry through the Nazarene Church took him to Arlington, Oregon (1964–1967); Ewan, Washington (1967–1977); Cheyenne, Wyoming (1977–1979); Missoula, Montana (1979–1995); and Casper, Wyoming (1995–2001). From 2001 to 2012, he served as chaplain at Wyoming Medical Center and retired in 2012. In addition to his pastoral appointments, Pastor Kaster frequently filled the pulpit for other churches when their pastors were unable to preach. With each pastorate, he oversaw a building campaign to make improvements to the church building and participated in every part of the construction projects.

Ellis brought a lively spirit and many talents to his work and everyday life. He sang tenor in quartets, played trumpet, was an athlete in school and a pitcher on his church softball team. He enjoyed building, remodeling, and carpentry; flying RC airplanes with a flyers club; collecting tools and coins; and rebuilding cars. He also delighted in “Stump the Pastor” nights at church.

Serving as the district leader of the Nazarene Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries, Ellis represented his district at the annual General Assembly. Over the course of his ministry, he officiated hundreds of weddings and funerals, sharing in some of life’s most meaningful moments with families and congregations. He cherished the memories of church Bible camps, including Pinelow Park in Loon Lake, Washington.

In retirement, Pastor Kaster and Linda lived in Independence, Missouri, where they enjoyed local sports, music and touring the Midwest. They visited tulip gardens in Iowa and Kansas, Gaither concerts in Kansas City, toured the Ozarks of Missouri and enjoyed visiting family and sightseeing in Indiana. They enjoyed watching sports on tv in the evenings and became supporters of the local teams, which tipped the scales for each team’s success. After moving to Missouri, the Royals won the world series for the first time in 30 years and the Chiefs won the Superbowl for the first time in 50 years.

Ellis is survived by his wife, Linda; his son Kevin Kaster and Kevin’s wife, Melissa, of Kokomo, Indiana, and their children, Kathryn, Brandon, Michael (Yemisi), and Jarren; and his son Keith Kaster and Keith’s wife, Peggy, of Independence, Missouri, and their sons, Joshua (Emily) and Jordan (Brooke). He is also survived by nine great-grandchildren.

Pastor Kaster will be remembered for his devotion to his family, his years of ministry and service, and the many ways he shared his gifts and enthusiasm with others. He leaves behind a life marked by service, dedication and a genuine love for Jesus Christ. He was always compassionate, with a heart for the salvation of others.

A Memorial service will be held at 1:30 pm Saturday, December 5, 2026, at Living Stones Community Church, 22603 NW Pink Hill Rd, Blue Springs, MO 64015.

For those wishing to make donations in his memory, the family requests memorial donations to Voice of the Martyrs or Living Stones Community Church.

Memories and condolences can be shared at heartlandcremation.com.