Ellerea Faith Koenegstein, age 6, ran into the arms of Christ on Monday, November 22, 2021, at 10:18 PM at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO. Before that moment, she spent the day being hugged, snuggled, and loved on by her family. Her mother and father, Brittany and Drew Koenegstein, remained with her to the very end, playing her favorite instrumental Disney music. Ella was born on October 19, 2015 and was fostered by the Koenegsteins soon after. She was officially adopted into their family on June 30, 2017. She enjoyed vacationing with members of her new extended family, and Ella also loved Disney films, including ‘Frozen’. She especially enjoyed visiting Disney World, meeting her favorite characters, and being swept up in the magical and whimsical nature of it all. She also liked attending comic book conventions with her parents and grandparents and taking part in family cosplay. She suffered a traumatic brain injury after a near-drowning accident on December 22, 2019, at her home in Dix, IL. Ella had been recovering and undergoing therapy in the nearly two years since. A fighter, she awed medical professionals and family alikewith her will to recover. Recent health improvements raised her family’s hopes for continuing therapy and recovery at home. Plans were being finalized for that transfer when her condition suddenly worsened, resulting in her death. But not before she inspired others, giving hope to families of children suffering similar injuries and with special needs. Her family cherishes Ella as the brief gift she was, a button-nosed and beautifully doe-eyed, mischievous free spirit with a megawatt smile that brightened even the darkest days.
Visitation for Ella Koenegestein will be held on Friday, November 26, 2021 at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, IL Rt 37 south of Dix, from 2:00 PM until 6:00 PM. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, November 27, 2021 at the church with interment following in the church cemetery. Hughey Funeral Home of Mt. Vernon is in charge of the arrangements. For those who wish, the family requests memorial donations be made in Ella’s name to Flights for Christ, Rome Grade School, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, or the St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Call Hughey Funeral Home at 618-242-3348 or visit hugheyfh.com for further information.
She is survived by her parents, Brittany Hall Koenegstein and Drew David Koenegestein of Dix, her paternal grandparents Vance and Nana Koenegstein, also of Dix, and her maternal grandparents, Clyde and Virginia Hall, of Mt. Vernon.
