Esther B. Melby 1923 - 1990

MELBY, KARR, LEISINGER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/31/2014 at 20:23:00

Onawa Democrat
31 May 1990

Esther B. Melby, Soldier, Iowa, died Saturday, May 19, 1990, in Burgess Memorial Hospital in Onawa following a long illness. Death came at the age of 67 years and 13 days.

She was born near Castana, Iowa, May 6, 1923, the daughter of Buddie and Edna (Karr) Leisinger. She graduated from Castana High School in 1940. She married Howard C. Melby February 17, 1944, at Onawa. He died May 26, 1980, in Omaha. The couple farmed west of Soldier before moving into Soldier in 1971. Esther was a cook at the Straight Inn in Soldier for 14 years.

She was a member of the Soldier Lutheran Church.

Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Bill (Peg) Voss of Onawa Mrs. Russ (Loretta McCall of Decatur; two sons, Terry of Soldier and Marty of Storm Lake; a brother and sister, Buddy Leisinger and Ruth Leisinger of Ute, and ten grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter Saundra; a grandson, Travis, a sister, Mary, and two brothers, Othie and Gilbert.

Services were held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, 1990, at the Soldier Lutheran Church with Pastor Larry Sydow officiating. Mr. Ivan Gibbs was the organist. The Johnson Quartet, Janice Smith, Kevin Johnson, Lisa Johnson, and Sam Johnson, sang, "The Old Rugged Cross" and "How Great Thou Art", accompanied by Conni Anderson.

Bearers were Virgil Ehlers, Harvey Straight, Jerry Blume, Buck Brink, Dennis Melby and Don Mathys.

Interment was in the Soldier Lutheran Church Cemetery with arrangements by the Pearson Funeral Home, Soldier, Iowa.