SYLVESTER H. "Syl" ESSER

BERNTGEN, ESSER, PLEIN, DOLAN, HOGAN, KELZER

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 2/11/2003 at 09:24:02

SYLVESTER H. "Syl" ESSER

Telegraph Herald - Tuesday, February 4, 2003

Sylvester H. "Syl" Esser, 92, of 821 Rhomberg Ave., died Sunday evening, Feb. 2, 2003, at Mercy Medical CenterDubuque.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Entombment will be in Resurrection Garden Mausoleum at Mount Calvary Cemetery. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Hoffmann-Schneider Funeral Home, 1640 Main St., where there will be a wake service at 5 p.m.

Mr. Esser retired from the former Dubuque Packing Co. in 1974, after 33 years. He was proud that in his early years his first real job was driving a laundry truck.

He was born on March 9, 1910, in Cassville, Wis., son of Henry and Catherine (Berntgen) Esser. He married Marcella T. Plein on May 20, 1936, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Dubuque.

Although he attended high school, he was, for the most part, self-educated. He loved to read. He enjoyed being with young people and telling them of his life experiences. He was a man of great wisdom, knowledge and insight.

He was blessed with a clear mind. He made every effort to teach his sons well and stressed the importance of family values. He was always willing to do more as he helped each of his children build and remodel their homes. There wasn't any project he wasn't willing to tackle and accomplish with perfection.

God chose to send his oldest and youngest child to heaven to ease his journey and greet him.

He was a member of Sacred Heart Parish and its Holy Name Society.

Surviving are his wife, Marcella; sons, Edward (Judy) Esser, Richard (Betty) Esser, Robert (Debby) Esser and Donald (Eva) Esser, all of Dubuque, and Gary (Brenda) Esser, of Sarasota, Fla.; 27 grandchildren; 30 great- grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Kenneth Esser; a daughter, Mary Dolan; and two sisters, Lillian Hogan and Lucille Kelzer.

Memorials may be given to Sacred Heart Catholic Church.