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Esther Nelson
ESTHER L. NELSON
Manchester
Esther L. Nelson, 95, of Manchester, died Tuesday, April 17, 2018. Visitation:
9 to 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 23, at Hopkinton Community Church with memorial services beginning at 10:30 a.m. Inurnment: Buck Creek Cemetery, Hopkinton. Arrangements by Bohnenkamp-Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Manchester.
Esther was born Oct. 15, 1922, the daughter of Ora and Ruth Ann (Booze) Ransier, in Garden City, Mo. She attended the Bethel Country School until moving to Iowa and was a graduate of Toddville High School. Esther married Robert Nelson on June 16, 1946, in Robins. She attended Hopkinton Lenox Junior College and taught rural school for three years, returning to teaching in 1955 at Hopkinton Consolidated School. Esther completed her college education at Upper Iowa and the University of Iowa and taught special education at Oneida for 10 years and then at West Delaware Schools for 14 years.
Esther enjoyed horseback riding, fishing, crafts, playing cards and traveling. Esther loved people, family get-togethers, neighbors and friends. Her students always had a special place in her heart. Esther's children were very special to her, along with her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She loved them all.
Esther is survived by three daughters, Janice (Ken) Rion of Monticello, Ruth Ann (Robert) Kugel of Manchester and RoseMary (Gary) Timmer of Rochester, Minn.; six grandchildren, Matthew (Lauretta) Rion, Sarah (Mike) Denniston, Amee (Chris) Mertens, Amber (Brooks) Groves, Garrison "Rob" Timmer and Rochelle "Shelly" Timmer; eight great-grandchildren, Sean and Emily Denniston, Stefani (Craig) Dauderman, Audrey, Julianna and Noah Groves and Alaina and Aliese Mertens; two great-great-grandchildren, Shauna and Kailey Dauderman; and siblings, Betty LaBarge and Harold (Lois) Ransier.
Esther was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert, in 2015; sisters, Genevieve (Ralph) Merck and Dorothy (Marvin) Wilson; brother, William (Lenore) Ransier; brother-in-law, Richard LaBarge; and sister-in-law, Shirley Ransier.
Please share a memory of Esther at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.
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