Esther Lillian Close (Blume)
February 16, 1908 — January 17, 2014
Esther Lillian Close died Friday, January 17, 2014, at Linn Manor Care Center in Marion, Iowa. She was born to Elizabeth (Meyer) and Samuel Blume in Dunn County, Wisconsin, on February 16, 1908. She attended Lyndale School, a one-room school located on property on their Rusk Prairie farm that her father had deeded to the county as a site for the county school. In recognition of her success at Lyndale, Esther and one of her classmates were seated on the Mabel Tainter Library stage for their eighth grade graduation ceremony.
Esther was hospitalized as a teenager for a goiter operation. She left to go to the hospital from a farm house, and returned several weeks later to a new house that had been built during her time in the hospital. She graduated from Menomonie High School in Wisconsin.
Esther wanted to train to become a nurse, but her mother thought nursing was not a suitable vocation for a proper young woman. As an alternative, she enrolled in Dunn County Normal to prepare to be a teacher. She graduated from normal in 1927, and the following fall began teaching in Ridgeland, Wisconsin.
Esther was married to Ernest Close on November 16, 1929. They lived with Esther’s parents on the home farm, Ernest taking over major farming responsibilities and Esther sharing in the homemaking chores. Three children were born, a daughter who died in infancy; a daughter, Juan Marie; and a son, John Eugene, called Jack.
In 1945, the farm was sold. Esther and Ernest moved with their family first to Rusk, Wisconsin, and then to Menomonie.
Ernest started working as an engineer on the Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul and Omaha railroad. Esther became a full-time housekeeper and mother.
In 1952, they moved to EauClaire, Wisconsin. Then Esther’s long-time dream to work in a hospital became a reality. She began working as a nurse-aide in Luther Hospital. At her retirement, she took pride in the fact that she had worked in every department of the hospital from surgery to patient units to central supply.
Esther and Ernest traveled throughout the United States in a series of recreational vehicles. After retiring, Esther continued to enjoy traveling. She visited most of the states including Alaska and Hawaii, the Holy Land, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Esther was preceded in death by the infant daughter, her parents, her brother and sister, and her husband. She is survived by her daughter, son, two granddaughters, two grandsons, seven great-granddaughters, a great-grandson, a great-great-granddaughter, and a great-great-grandson.
An event celebrating Esther’s life will be scheduled later in Elk Mound, Wisconsin, and her cremains will be buried in Waneka Cemetery in rural Dunn County, Wisconsin.
Esther was hospitalized as a teenager for a goiter operation. She left to go to the hospital from a farm house, and returned several weeks later to a new house that had been built during her time in the hospital. She graduated from Menomonie High School in Wisconsin.
Esther wanted to train to become a nurse, but her mother thought nursing was not a suitable vocation for a proper young woman. As an alternative, she enrolled in Dunn County Normal to prepare to be a teacher. She graduated from normal in 1927, and the following fall began teaching in Ridgeland, Wisconsin.
Esther was married to Ernest Close on November 16, 1929. They lived with Esther’s parents on the home farm, Ernest taking over major farming responsibilities and Esther sharing in the homemaking chores. Three children were born, a daughter who died in infancy; a daughter, Juan Marie; and a son, John Eugene, called Jack.
In 1945, the farm was sold. Esther and Ernest moved with their family first to Rusk, Wisconsin, and then to Menomonie.
Ernest started working as an engineer on the Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul and Omaha railroad. Esther became a full-time housekeeper and mother.
In 1952, they moved to EauClaire, Wisconsin. Then Esther’s long-time dream to work in a hospital became a reality. She began working as a nurse-aide in Luther Hospital. At her retirement, she took pride in the fact that she had worked in every department of the hospital from surgery to patient units to central supply.
Esther and Ernest traveled throughout the United States in a series of recreational vehicles. After retiring, Esther continued to enjoy traveling. She visited most of the states including Alaska and Hawaii, the Holy Land, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Esther was preceded in death by the infant daughter, her parents, her brother and sister, and her husband. She is survived by her daughter, son, two granddaughters, two grandsons, seven great-granddaughters, a great-grandson, a great-great-granddaughter, and a great-great-grandson.
An event celebrating Esther’s life will be scheduled later in Elk Mound, Wisconsin, and her cremains will be buried in Waneka Cemetery in rural Dunn County, Wisconsin.
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