Esther Evelyn (Olson) Linsted was born January 8, 1917, at rural Taintor, Iowa to Jesse and Jennie (Rasmus) Olson. She passed away January 19, 2013, at the Northern Mahaska Nursing and Rehab Center in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

As a young girl, she and her brothers, Kenneth and Robert, and her sister, Estella, helped on the farm.

Esther attended country school and graduated from New Sharon High School. She attended Penn College for one year to get her teaching degree. She then taught in area country schools.

On December 16, 1944, Esther was united in marriage with Glenn Linsted at the minister's parsonage in Montezuma, Iowa. They then moved to the family farm near Taintor, where they lived and farmed until Glenn's death in 1988. To this union two children were born: Gordon Howard and Rita Kathleen.

Esther loved being outside and working in her big flower garden. For many years she enjoyed going to a neighborhood club, The Busy Bee Club, and to church activities including the local W.S.C.S. Chapter.

After Glenn's death Esther moved to New Sharon, then to Pella, and then the nursing home where she passed away.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Glenn in 1988; her son Gordon in 1983; her parents, Jesse and Jennie Olson; her brother, Kenneth Olson and his wife June; her sister, Estella Graham and her husband Alfred. She was also preceded in death by her parents-in-law, Charles and Loto Linsted; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Claire and Arlene Phillips and Otto and Fern Pothoven.

Esther is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Jerry and Rita Veenstra of Pella; her daughter-in-law, Julie Linsted of Oskaloosa; her brother, Robert Olson of California; five grandchildren; and eleven great-grandchildren.

Esther's family:

Gordon (deceased) and Julie Linsted
Jeff Linsted
Brent and Trudy Linsted
Gavin, Gannon, and Jenna
Stacy and Chad Thomas
Nick, Zakk, and Liam

Rita and Jerry Veenstra
Joel and Lynda Veenstra
Andrew, Alex, and Caitlin
Darrell and Angela Veenstra
Blake and Trevor

FUNERAL SERVICES

1:30 P.M., Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Taintor Community Church
Taintor, Iowa

VISITATION

9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M., January 22, 2013
Garden Chapel Funeral Home
Pella, Iowa

MEMORIALS

Safe Water International Ministry

INTERMENT

Stewart Cemetery
Taintor, Iowa

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