Esther Nelson

Esther Pankratz was born August 24, 1923 at the Mt.Lake Hospital to parents John and Helena (Entz) Pankratz. She grew up on the family farm NW of Mt. Lake with 11 brothers and sisters. She attended Country School Dist. 47. She was baptized in 1940 at the Berfelder Church in Mt. Lake, confirmed in 1948 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mt. Lake, a member of First Lutheran Church in Butterfield from 1964 to 1969, a 30 year member of St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery, MN and joined Augustana Lutheran Church in St. James in 1998. Esther has always been active in her church and circles. As a young lady she started working after the the tenth grade. She worked at Heppner's Grocery in Mt. Lake then Butterfield Produce in Butterfield. On May 5, 1944 she was united in marriage to Carl Nelson at Lebanon, PA, where Carl was stationed during WWII. Following Carl's return from war, the couple made their home in the Mt. Lake area where they worked for several farmers before starting their own farm south of Butterfield. In 1969 they moved to Montgomery where Esther worked at the school in the kitchen where she worked until her retirement. The couple moved to St. James in 1998. Esther Nelson died at her home in St. James on Tuesday, October 23, 2007. She was preceded in death by her husband, daughter Donna Rich, son-in-law Ron Rich, infant son Larry, grandson Andrew Rich, 3 brothers and 7 sisiters. Esther is survived by 3 grandchildren Jeff Jodi Rich of Sioux Falls, SD, Jason Mary Rich of Owatonna, Jenni Jason Godfrey of Innver Grove Heights, 3 great-grandchildren Cory, Rachel and Kyle Rich, a sister Susan Halvorson of LeSueur, sisters-in-law Ruby Pankratz of Mt. Lake, Eland Johnson of Comfrey, and brother-in-law Martin VanSchooten of Lincoln, NE.