GORDEN, Esther Elizabeth (SNETHEN) WILLIAMS

GORDEN, SNETHEN, WILLIAMS, FLANAGEN, NEWBERRY, DETRICK, KOZUKI

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 11/24/2016 at 02:08:44

Obituary ~ Esther Elizabeth (Snethen) Williams Gorden
March 9, 1917 ~ November 14, 2016

Leon Journal-Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
October 01, 1896

Esther Elizabeth Snethen Williams Gorden, age 99, was born March 9, 1917, to James Doyle and Mary Prudence (Flanagen) Snethen in Harrison County, Missouri. She passed away November 14, 2016, at the home of her daughter, Judi, in West Des Moines, Iowa. She was the ninth of eleven children, Flora, Grant, Martha, Mason, Otis, Frank, Luther, Neva, Esther, Clarence, and James. Esther cherished memories of being with her family on the farm and loved to tell stories of their times together. Baptized as a young girl into the RLDS church, Esther liked taking classes and attending services through her life. Her belief in Christ sustained her always.

Esther married Byron Franklin Williams on September 23, 1939. They lived in Lamoni, Iowa where Frank ran a creamery route. While in Lamoni, three of her children were born. After moving to the Kansas City/Independence, Missouri area, four more children were added. In the evenings, she read Bible stories or scriptures to her children, as Jesus Christ remained the basis of her life. She worked with the Skylark and Oriole programs when her girls were young. Gardening, crocheting, quilting, reading (in her spare time), and visiting friends and family gave her enormous pleasure.

Esther was a great cook and Frank loved restaurants. He talked her into starting a cafe in Buckner, Missouri, that they called the Sweet Williams Cafe. It was followed by a small cafe they operated until moving back to Lamoni in 1962. After a short time, they ran the Lamoni Sale Barn Cafe. The last café, Pantry, was a small seven-stool place. Lunch was always busy and Esther enjoyed seeing the kids as they squeezed in among the other patrons for chili or sandwiches. Her cinnamon rolls were always a big hit.

Esther went to work for Graceland College after closing her last cafe. She retired from Graceland and was later inducted as the first woman on their Wall of Fame. She started greeting for the Lamoni Funeral Home in 1983. Her ease with people allowed her to share comfort and stories with all who came. Esther seemed to know who was related to whom and remembered times they had touched each other’s lives.

In 1994, Esther married Chester “Chet” Gorden. Esther took pleasure in reconnecting with Chet’s sisters and loved getting to know his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. After Chet passed away in 2007, she moved to Crown Colony and later to West Des Moines, Iowa.

Esther was preceded in death by her parents; all of her siblings; and husbands, Frank Williams and Chet Gorden.

She is survived by her children, Elizabeth Newberry of Lamoni, Mary Jo Detrick of Waukee, Iowa, Jim Williams of Norwalk, Iowa, Judi Kozuki & husband, Gene of West Des Moines, Iowa, Byron Williams of Dallas Center, Iowa, Laura Williams of Des Moines, Iowa and Ernie Williams of Kansas City, Missouri; 17 grandchildren; 32 great grandchildren; and two great, great granddaughters; many “favorite” nieces and nephews; and lots of loved extended family and friends.

Funeral services will be held at the Lamoni Community of Christ Church in Lamoni, Iowa at 11 a.m. Thursday, November 17, 2016, with burial following in the Rose Hill Cemetery, Lamoni, Iowa. Arrangements were through the Slade – O’Donnell Funeral Home of Leon and Lamoni, Iowa.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2016

Decatur Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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