Esther E. Gathje

Esther E. Gathje, 80, of South Sioux City, Nebraska passed away on Saturday, April 16, 2011 at her residence.Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at First Lutheran Church in South Sioux City with Pastor Jerry Gilbreath officiating. Visitation will begin at the church one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in rural Wayne, Nebraska. Online condolences may be sent at www.mohrfuneralhome.com. Esther was born June 19, 1930 in Wayne, Nebraska, the daughter of Adolph and Regina (Kurrelmeyer) Korn. She graduated from Wayne High School in 1947, then attended Wayne State College. She worked at the telephone office in Wayne. She married Harold Gathje on March 11, 1951 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Wayne. The couple moved to Fort Bliss, Texas, while Harold served in the army from 1955 to 1957. They then returned to farming. They purchased the Hog House on the junction of Highways 116 and 20 in 1976 and operated it until they sold out in 1995 and moved to South Sioux City. She worked for James Drug and Hy-Vee in South Sioux City.She was a member of First Lutheran Church in South Sioux City.She enjoyed counted cross-stitching and sewing.Survivors include her husband, Harold of South Sioux City; daughters, Diane Gathje of Sioux City, Iowa and Daytona Caldwell of Yankton, South Dakota; 4 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; brother, Richard (Gail) Korn of Wayne, Nebraska; sisters, Rosalie Diedricksen of Osmond, Nebraska, Norma (Edward) Thies of Winside, Nebraska and Mildred Weak of Wayne, Nebraska; sisters-in-law, Margaret Korn of Wayne, Nebraska; 15 nieces and nephews.Esther was preceded in death by her parents; a son, DeWayne Gathje; brothers, Melvin and Harold Korn brothers-in-law, Ivan Diedricksen and Lyle Weak; sister-in-law, Edna Korn.