Ella Irene Eskelsen 1911-2002

ESKELSEN KRESS LA SEUR

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 7/6/2011 at 15:38:39

Sioux City Journal
7 Jan 2002

LAWTON, Iowa -- Ella Irene Eskelsen, 90, of Lawton died Friday, Jan. 4, 2002, at a Sioux City nursing and rehab center.

Services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Community Presbyterian Church in Lawton, with the Rev. Wayne Peach officiating. Burial will be in Banner Township Cemetery in Lawton. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with family present 6 to 8 p.m., and a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Christy-Smith Morningside Chapel in Sioux City.

Mrs. Eskelsen was born Feb. 10, 1911, in Moorhead, Iowa, the daughter of Frank and Grace (Kress) La Seur. She grew up and attended school in Moorhead, graduating in 1927. She attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls. She taught in the rural Monona County schools from 1929 to 1935. She married Carlos "Kelly" Eskelsen on June 2, 1935, in Moorhead. The couple farmed in Monona and Woodbury counties while living in Lawton. In 1954, she attended Morningside College and returned to teaching at Sergeant Bluff and Lawton schools for 10 years.

The couple wintered in Donna, Texas, for 24 years.

She was longtime member of Community Presbyterian Church of Lawton, was a Sunday school teacher and an active member of United Presbyterian Women. She was active in farm bureau and extension work, was a 4-H leader for 15 years, co-organized the Banner Planner's Girls 4-H club in Banner Township, was a member of the Lawton Garden Club, UTD Club, Senior Friendship Club, a former member of the Sioux City Art Center and Siouxland Artists.

Survivors include her husband; a daughter and her husband, Karen and Larry Forbes of Sioux City; a sister, Joyce Carlson of Glenwood, Iowa; a brother and his wife, Loyle and Donna La Seur of Bentonville, Ark.; three grandchildren and their spouses, Jeff and Christine Forbes of Dallas, Texas, David and Nancy Forbes of Kennesaw, Ga., and Shelly and Dr. David Robinson of Spencer, Iowa; seven great-grandchildren, Ryan, Nathan and Kyle Forbes, all of Dallas, Nicole and Emily Forbes of Kennesaw, and Paul and Anna Robison of Spencer.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, William La Seur.

Pallbearers will be Loren Bush, Jerry Forbes, Clark Hummel, Robert Peters, Harry Robison and John Schlotman.

Family requests memorials be made to Community Presbyterian Church in Lawton.