Ester Rose Waggoner

Ester Rose Waggoner was born on January 11, 1931. She was the daughter of Ernest Lucien Breuil and Odessa May Breuil (née Schmale) of Neosho, Missouri, U.S.A.

Ester is survived by her son, Don Waggoner (Salem, OR), and her sister Virginia Seward (Newtonia, MO). Ester has three grandchildren: Jamie Waggoner (Auburn, AL), Jennifer Dunnigan (Salem, OR), and Orie Waggoner (Salem, OR). She also has four great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Ester passed away in the early hours of May 2, 2025, of a recurrent cancer. Her passing was swift, and she did not suffer any pain. Her son was at her side to comfort her.

Ester was a graduate of Midway High School (Stark City, MO). She began her trailblazing career at the age of 16, working for Kreskie’s Dime Store. She then went to work for Boeing Aircraft in 1952 in Long Beach, CA. Ester performed electrical work for Boeing, running wires in the airplanes, since her small size allowed her to crawl inside tight spaces where her male coworkers could not fit. After relocating back to Missouri, Ester joined the Montgomery Ward company in 1961. During her 25-year tenure with Montgomery Ward, she worked her way up from catalog store trainee manager to district manager, to regional trainer, and finally to manager of major retail and automotive centers in Lebanon and Rolla, MO. She excelled in all these positions, winning many sales contests and awards, including placing #1 in a sales contest for the entire United States.

When Montgomery Ward closed its doors, Ester began working for The Paper Factory, managing and opening a brand-new store in Lebanon, MO. She continued to shine in this position, winning the Manager of the Year award twice, among numerous other awards. She retired in 1996; however, she went back to work just three years later as an assistant manager because, in her words, “a person can only take so much of this boredom.” Ester met every challenge with creativity, dedication, and class, reaching incredible career heights for a woman of her generation. She was much beloved and appreciated by her coworkers and staff. Many of them credit Ester with inspiring their own successes.

Ester was also an expert seamstress. She enjoyed sewing clothing for all her grandchildren, as well as crafting handmade dolls and doll clothes, costumes, formal dresses, handsewn quilts, bedspreads and curtains, and decorative pillows. She often incorporated embroidery into her creations, the designs for which she drew by hand or traced from botanical images in books. Her family feels incredibly blessed by her artistic talents and remains grateful for all the heirloom pieces she lovingly designed. They will be cherished for many years to come.

Ester appreciated interior design and kept an immaculate home. She was fond of her canine companions, especially her dogs Monty, Duke, and Roxie. Her family remembers her love for Cadillac cars, which she drove most of her life until 2020. When not at her sewing machine, Ester could be found in her garden growing flowers, tomatoes, and strawberries, among other plants and vegetables. She was a great gardener and often gifted her neighbors with boxes of ripe, juicy tomatoes or jars of homemade applesauce.

Ester was a kind and loving mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She will be remembered for her generosity, drive to succeed, and her sense of humor. Ester often told people that she “has had quite a career, done lots of things, and had lots of fun.” Thank you, Ester, for always teaching and taking care of us. We carry you in our hearts.