Esther E. Farwick

ESTHER EMILY FARWICK was born to James and Nettie (Shoemacher) Strayer on February 9, 1921 on a farm near Burt, Iowa where she was raised and received her education in a country school. In 1935, she moved with her family to Algona, Iowa. After her graduation from Algona High School in 1939, she worked for three years as a nannie for three families in Algona. In 1942, she attended nurses training in Sioux City, Iowa. A year later, she transferred to nurses training at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Fort Dodge, Iowa where she completed the course in 1945. Following her education, she worked in the Pediatrics Department at Mercy Hospital. On February 18, 1946, she was united in marriage to John “Jack” Farwick in San Diego, California. In November of 1947, when Jack was honorably discharged from the service, the couple moved to Pipestone, Minnesota. Off and on while raising their children, Esther did private duty nursing for Dr. Benjamin. She also filled in when Dr. Keyes’ nurses went on vacation. In 1964, she began employment at the Ashton Care Center as the Director of Nurses until 1975 when she started doing home nursing for 10 years. On August 27, 1993, Jack preceded her in death. In May of 1994, Esther moved into the Storybrook Apartments in Pipestone and moved to Luverne, Minnesota in 2009 where she lived in the Centennial Apartments. In December of 2012, she became a resident of the Good Samaritan Society – Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne where she passed away surrounded by family on Saturday, June 9, 2018 at the age of 97 years and four months.

Esther was a member of St. Leo Catholic Church in Pipestone where she was active in the circle, prayer groups, Bible studies, and the Catholic Daughters. She was also a member of the Hospital Auxiliary. She enjoyed quilting and was the head of the quilting department for the Pipestone Senior Citizens. She loved to write and had some of her articles published, a couple of them in Catholic Digest.

She is lovingly remembered by her children, Jacquelyn Stockton of Lander, Wyoming, Anne and her husband, Harlan Huiskes of Luverne, and Michael and his wife, Lori of Vancouver, Washington; 13 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren and special nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband; son, Thomas; son-in-law, Doug Stockton; her parents; five sisters; and 7 brothers.