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.
