Esther Bell

Esther was born January 2, 1898 at Austin, MN to Samuel and Elizabeth (Sayles) Jones. Her father was an engineer on the railroad so her family lived in several railroad towns. She attended school in Mankato and St. Paul where she graduated from Central High School and received a Teaching Certificate. She taught in several rural schools in the Austin area. On January 29, 1921 Esther married Sigfred A. Fredrikson and they farmed on several locations in Mower County before moving to the St. James area in 1930 where they farmed on three locations before moving into St. James in 1951. During that time Esther was active in the extension Club, the Farmers Bureau, and local school board, and she and Sig were two of the organizers and first adult leaders of the Golden Gleaners 4-H Club in 1936. In 1956 Esther and Sig moved to Mesa, AZ where Sig passed away in 1962. In 1966 Esther married Bert Godfredsen who died in 1976. In 1978 she married Frank Bell who died in 1984. Esther moved back to St. James in 1984 and lived in an apartment until she entered Pleasant View Nursing Home in 1997 shortly before her 100th birthday. Esther Bell passed away on Monday, September 10, 2007 at the Pleasant View Good Samaritan Center in St. James. She is survived by her children Lois Miest of St. James, Janet McMahon of St. Charles, IL, Glenn and wife Joan (Weast) Fredrikson of Mesa, AZ, Howard and wife Annette (Sandberg) Fredrikson of St. James, 15 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, 41 great-great-grandchildren and numerous step grandchildren and great-grandchildren She was preceded in death by her parents, three husbands, two brothers Wallace and wife Edna Jones, Maurice and wife Verla Jones two sons-in-law George W. Miest and Joseph McMahon.