Esther Marie Nichols' Obituary
Esther was born November 24, 1937, in Bonne Terre, Missouri, and passed away on Sunday, September 11, 2016. Her mother, Esther Marie Lane White, passed a few days after she was born and because her father wasn’t able to care for her, baby Esther was adopted and raised by her mother’s sister, Rosalie and her husband, Angus and their family.
Esther is survived by her husband of 60 years, Floyd Henry Nichols; son, Mark Nichols and wife, Connie of Eureka, Kansas; daughters, Carol and husband, Wayne Smith of Quitman, Texas, and Michelle and husband, Norris Hollander of Wichita; three grandsons, Chris and wife, Kristi, Paola, Kansas; Morgan and wife, Tomi of Mirabile, Missouri; and Jason Nichols and Ashley Tyner of Eureka, Kansas; four great-grandchildren, Tyler, Gage, Riley and Zoe; a sister, Barbara Pearce of Tucson, Arizona; and sister-in-law, Veronica Berryman.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Luther and Esther Marie Lane White, and Angus and Rosalie Lane Berryman; sisters, Alice Plasencia, Mary Berryman, and Marjorie Stewart; brothers, Thomas White, Angus (Bud) Berryman, and James Berryman.
Esther spent her childhood in Detroit, Michigan. In 1955, she met Floyd on a blind date and they were married on December 5, 1955. After completing his service in the Army, they settled in Wichita, Kansas. She was a stay at home mom for many years before she began working.
They moved to the Lakeside area in 1979 and Fall River, Kansas in 2001. They later moved to Eureka and in 2013 Esther was moved to a nursing home where she spent her final days. She knew the Lord and I now believe she resides in Heaven.
Esther worked for more than 25 years at the Fredonia Regional Hospital, in labor and delivery, as a floor aide, home health aide and medical records. She was also instrumental in the Angel Tree project for many years.
Esther had a heart of compassion. She always wanted to help others. She loved doing things for her children and grandchildren.
She was a kid at heart. She always looked for fun things to do with the kids. Coloring with them, baking cookies, and birthday parties when her kids were young, but most of all, she loved to dress up and trick-or-treat. Her kids would be out trick-or-treating on their own, they would come home with their “loot,” and she would throw on some quick costume she’d whipped up and go to a few of the neighbors. This started when her kids were young and continued throughout her life. She even won the costume contest, dressed as a bag lady, at the nursing home last year.
One of her greatest pleasures in life was feeding her family. She loved to cook. For many years she put in a big garden and then canned and made some of the best green tomato relish ever. Even in her later years as her health declined the first thing she wanted to do when the kids and grandkids came to visit was to cook for them.
Her biggest love from the garden were tomatoes….. She even grew tomatoes while she lived at the nursing home, and if she liked you, she shared them with you. When you came to visit her, the talk always ended up being tomatoes.
Another thing that gave her great pleasure was bird watching. She always had bird feeders and loved to sit and watch which birds came to them. She especially loved hummingbirds.
Esther was an accomplished seamstress, liked to crochet and embroider. She made and gave away many afghans and quilts.
A graveside service for Esther will be held Wednesday, September 14, 2016 beginning with a graveside visitation at 10:00 am followed by the graveside service at 11:00 am at the Weakley Cemetery in New Albany, Kansas. A memorial is suggested to Fredonia Regional Hospital Home Health and may be left with the funeral home. Arrangements by Countryside Funeral Home.
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Share a story where Esther's kindness touched your heart.
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