Esther May (Steenblock) HILL

STEENBLOCK, HILL, BOHNING, VIRKUS, CAHILL, BURKHARDT, VOSBURGH, WILLIAMS, MEINTZ, LOATS, BUSEMAN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/8/2008 at 00:48:06

BELMOND - Esther M. (Steenblock) Hill, 96, of Belmond, most recently a resident of the I.O.O.F. Home, Mason City, died Tuesday (May 6, 2008) at the I.O.O.F. Home in Mason City. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, May 9, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Belmond with the Rev. Troy Pflibsen officiating. Burial will be in the Belmond Cemetery. Visitation will be held from one hour prior to services on Friday at the church.

Esther May (Steenblock) Hill, daughter of Harm and Ida (Bohning) Steenblock, was born May 17, 1911, on a farm east of Belmond. Esther was baptized in Immanuel Reformed Church east of Belmond where she was an active member. She attended rural school at District No. 5, Pleasant Township, through the fourth grade when the family moved to Belmond. She graduated from Belmond High School having taken the business course. She then took a year of post graduate to also be able to teach. She taught in several rural schools but most years were in Belmond Township, where she had previously attended.

On March 1, 1942, she was united in marriage to Herbert Anton Hill by the Rev. O.M. Severseike, then pastor of the joint St. Olaf and Trinity parishes. They farmed his mother's farm until 1950 when they moved to the farm one mile west of Belmond. Esther was an active member while at St. Olaf Lutheran Congregation and also later as a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Belmond. She taught Sunday school, took part in the ladies organizations, choir, etc., until her hearing became too bad. She was a past member of the Culture Study Club and a charter member of the Home Study Club. Esther so enjoyed her family and friends. She especially cherished time spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved flowers, music, calligraphy and writing poetry.

She is survived by her daughter, Susan Virkus; granddaughters, Mellisa Burkhardt, Bonnie and Kristin Cahill; great-grandchildren, Dustin Burkhardt, Shaquille Cahill, Danae and Isaac Williams, Jesse, Joseph, and Jacob Vosburgh; and great-great-granddaughter, Ellie Burkhardt. She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert; her son-in-law, Thomas Virkus; her parents, three sisters: Annie Meints, Lena Loats, and Ida Buseman; and four brothers: Peter and Andrew (at infancy), Herb Steenblock and Peter Steenblock; and several nieces and nephews.

Arrangements are with the Andrews Funeral Home in Belmond.

Mason City Globe Gazette
5/8/2008