Visitation:
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday June 20, 2018 at Zion
Lutheran Church
Service:
11 a.m. Wednesday at the church
Funeral home:
Fricke-Calvert-Schrader, Lincoln
Obituary
Esther Will, 102, passed away at 5:22
a.m. on June 17, 2018 at St. Clara’s Manor in
Lincoln.
Esther was born on February 12, 1916, to Danish
immigrants: Christopher Peter “C.P.” and Johanna (Bramsen)
Sorensen on the family farm near Thornton, Iowa. She
was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church.
She graduated from Thornton High School in 1933. She
married Sam Will in 1936, during the Depression. He
preceded her in death in 1984.
Esther and Sam started their farming career near
Thornton, raising grain and livestock. They moved to
their farm in Broadwell Township in 1949. Having
sold their Guernsey dairy herd before moving, they
began raising Polled Hereford cattle in addition to
their swine and poultry.
She was a 4-H leader and joined Logan County Home
Bureau, later known as Homemakers Extension. She
held many leadership roles and especially enjoyed
the monthly craft group. She taught landscape
painting at State Homemakers Camp for many years.
An exhibitor at the Logan County Fair for over sixty
years, she won many awards in the Dairy and Culinary
Departments as well as in Textiles. Her beautiful
quilts were often displayed in area shows. She was a
charter member of the Quilters at Heart quilt guild.
She was also a Century Member of the Oasis Senior
Center; she was honored to cut the ribbon for the
opening of the new Oasis location. She enjoyed
playing pinochle there and participated in their
traveling team. She also played cards with the Round
Robin group as well as other local groups. |
She loved to travel with her husband
and later with her daughters. She was the eldest
member of Zion Lutheran Church and she was also a
member of the Golden Heirs.
Esther is survived by her daughters: Shirley Aukamp
of Lincoln and Sharon Urban of Pekin; four
grandchildren; eleven great grandchildren; two
nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents,
husband, two brothers, and one niece.
Services for Esther will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday
June 20, 2018 at Zion Lutheran Church with Rev. Mark
Thompson officiating. Visitation will be one hour
prior to the service, 10:00-11:00 a.m. Burial at New
Union Cemetery will follow the service where Dr.
Rev. Kirk Clayton will officiate.
Memorials may be made in Esther’s name to the Oasis
Senior Center.
Services are entrusted to Fricke-Calvert-Schrader
Funeral Home in Lincoln.
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