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Esther Schafer Obituary
In the fall of 1943, the family moved to Tecumseh, where she and Bill lived the rest of their lives. From 1952 to 1963, Esther worked as a cashier and clerk for Peoples Natural Gas Co. She received her bachelor's degree from Peru State College in 1967. Esther taught 10 years in the elementary department of the Elk Creek Schools, retiring in 1973.
Esther loved to grow flowers, especially African violets. She was an avid reader and a member of the Tecumseh Library board for more than 20 years.
She is survived by: son, Ronald and wife Dorothy, Mountain View, Calif.; grandchildren, William Schafer and wife Patricia Laurenson, San Diego, Katherine Schafer and husband Ken Wharton, Mountain View; great-grandchildren, Henry and Hannah Laurenson-Schafer, San Diego; many nieces and nephews; sisters-in-law, Mary Rinne, Burchard, Wauneta Othmer, Tecumseh.
Preceded in death by: parents; brother, Norman Rinne; sisters, Erna Hoffman, Emeline Morrissey; grandson, John Schafer; husband, William, after 71 years of marriage.
Services: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Salem United Church of Christ, rural Steinauer. The Rev. Jerry Hambleton. Church cemetery, Steinauer. Visitation: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday, with family greeting friends from 6-8 p.m., Wherry Mortuary, Tecumseh; one hour prior to services, church. Memorials to the Tecumseh Public Library or the church.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Esther Schafer
2 Entries
Julie Parde
July 31, 2006
Ron, Dorothy, and Family:
I was very saddened today to see that Esther had passed away. She was a very vivacious, fiesty woman, but she made an impact on me and I will never forget her. While I was working at Belle Terrace and Ridgeview Towers, we shared many memories of her days with Bill and she missed him terribly. We would also visit about the visits from you and the grandchildren which she cherished deeply. Know that she loved you all with all her heart. She was a wonderful woman and will be greatly missed. But she's with Bill now, someplace she's wanted to be for a number of years.
I will never forget your mom, Ron, she and I were great friends. Except, for the time I tried to give her a whirlpool and she told me to stick to my "day job" because I didn't know how to give whirlpools! We laughed about that day for a long time. There are very few 90+ year old women who can consistently balance their checkbooks to the penny, but Esther did it each and every month! And if she couldn't get it to balance, she would call me in a panic until I could come up and help her! She was a stickler for details.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this tough time. Esther lived a good life and had many years to enjoy her family.
Janel B
July 31, 2006
My sincere sympathy to your family. I was scanning the obituaries and was impressed by the life represented in those words about Esther. She must have been a very interesting woman and I would have been honored to know her. My grandma is 99 this year also. May your memories bring you joy and comfort and may your find Hope in God's resurrection promises. Sincerely,
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