Esther C. Otto
OTTO, TARBOX, CUSTIS, DEGRANDIS, HEISLER
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 3/22/2016 at 09:32:25
Esther C. Otto was born January 5, 1918 to William L. and Garnet B. (Tarbox) Custis in Olin, Iowa. She passed away on March 6, 2016 at Lantern Park Specialty Care, Coralville, Iowa.
She is survived by her sons, Robert M. Otto of Iowa City, and Donald J. (Donna) Otto of Knoxville, IA. She is also survived by daughter-in-law, Patsy Cantrell Otto of Conway, Arkansas. There are four grandchildren, William R. Otto Jr. and Bryant C. Otto of Conway, Arkansas; Tracy (Marques) DeGrandis of Waunakee, Wisconsin; Stacy (Jason) Heisler of North Liberty. There are four great grandchildren, Nina and Ella DeGrandis of Waunakee; Shelby and Sadie Heisler of North Liberty. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Esther graduated from Anamosa High School in 1935, and then from the Cedar Rapids Paris Academy of Cosmetology in 1936. She worked as a beautician first in Anamosa and then at Towner’s Beauty Shop in the Towner’s Store across from the Old Capital in Iowa City. It was there that she met Max R. Otto, who was working at Lubin’s Drugstore around the corner serving Cokes at the fountain. Max and Esther were married at the Little Brown Church in Nashua on August 21, 1939 and traveled to the Black Hills of South Dakota for a honeymoon. In 1942 Max went to work for the CAA now the FAA and they moved first to Atlantic and then La Junta, Colorado. Bob in January and Bill in December of 1942 made for a growing family. In 1945 Esther, Bob and Bill moved back to Anamosa, while Max was sent to South America in the Navy as part of the war effort. In 1947, with now Don they moved to the top of Benton Street Hill in Iowa City and remained there for the next 69 years. Esther was a homemaker until about 1953 when she first went to work part time and then full time at Iowa Testing located in East Hall for the University of Iowa. She was there for many years until she went to work for the University of Iowa Pharmacy Department in the 1960’s dispensing medications and helping to develop the first unit dose for the University Hospitals. She remained there until retirement. Esther always enjoyed working in her garden and traveling with Max in their little trailer.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Max in 1987, her son William R. Otto Sr. of Conway, Arkansas in 2013, her sister Mickey Parsons of Anamosa in 2002, her brother Everett Custis of Anamosa in 2008 and her sister Elnora Lutz of Anamosa in 2014.
A Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 Friday, March 25, 2016 at Lensing’s Oak Hill, 210 Holiday Road Coralville, Iowa 52241. Interment will follow at Oakland Cemetery, Iowa City. Memorials may be made to the Esther C. Otto Memorial Fund.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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