Esther M. Highland

Esther M. Highland, aged 97, died Monday night, October 5, 2015, following one of the best days of her life. The world is indeed a poorer place without Esther. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, October 11th, at All Faiths Funeral Home. Reverend Lonnie Logan will officiate. There will be a gathering of family and friends following the service. She is survived by her son, Lynn, and daughter-in-law, Marsha Burns; her grandchildren, Sarah, Deborah, Eric, and Lara; great-grandchildren, Brittany, Sydney, Nolan, Aaron, Eric, Lynnzee, Ariel, Zach, and Sarah; and great-great grandchildren, Brenson, Wylder, Henry, and Cayson. Esther was preceded in death by her husband, Roger; her parents, Clarence and Hazel (Scott) Alter; her sister, Helen; and her infant son, James. Esther was born on July 21, 1918 on her parents’ farm near Alda. Except for the time she was with her husband, Roger, in Fort Knox, Kentucky while he was attending Army basic training prior to WWII and during the last year in St. Paul, she lived her entire life in the Grand Island area. She was fortunate to have spent the last years of her life at Primrose and then at Brookefield Park surrounded by people who so lovingly cared for her. Esther attended the Beet Ranch country school; she and the other “Beet Ranch Girls” met regularly for nearly 70 years to reminisce about riding mules to school in the snow and to keep up with events in each other’s lives. She graduated from Grand Island Senior High and, after working in Grand Island for several years, married Roger on September 6, 1940. At Esther’s insistence, they were married in Concordia, Missouri by the same pastor who had baptized Esther as an infant. It worked…they were married for 63 years until Roger’s death in 2003. Son Lynn was born in 1944 and became the focus of Esther’s life until his time in school allowed her to work part time at the Sears store in downtown Grand Island selling shoes. She made many lifelong friends at Sears and the “Sears Retirees” group stayed in touch for decades. Esther’s insistence on seeing the good in everyone made her the perfect volunteer; she was a passionate volunteer at many places in Grand Island. The Red Cross and St. Francis Hospital benefited enormously from her devotion to civic duty. She did volunteer work for well over 30 years and was honored by St. Francis as the Volunteer of the Year. Her first volunteer work as a cub scout Den Mother (everyone wanted to be in Esther’s “pack”) clearly led to a lifetime of service. Esther was a decades-long member of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) and may have “lost just those 5 pounds” hundreds of times. Her TOPS friends will miss her. Although Esther’s family lived far away, Grandmother Esther (never “grandma”) was an important part of the lives of her four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She was ecstatic to become a great-grandmother four times. Esther delighted in annual visits to Alaska to see her “grands” and “great grands” and to marvel at Alaska’s beauty and wildlife. She was most embarrassed when the Independent sports editor published a photo of her being dwarfed by a halibut she caught. Esther’s farm roots had a profound influence on her; she had a lifelong love of the land and, especially, birds and animals. She was happiest when “digging in the dirt” in her back yard – which was sufficiently frequented by squirrels, rabbits, and birds as to resemble an early Disney movie. Her family eagerly awaited the shipment of her world-renown tomatoes every August. She not only loved animals but was active in making their lives better. Esther was a founding (and lifelong) member of both the Grand Island Kennel Club and of the Central Nebraska Humane Society (CNHS). If, as Ghandi said, “…a society can be judged by how it treats its animals”, Esther was a saint. The Esther Highland Memorial Garden for Abused and Neglected Animals at the CNHS was dedicated on Sunday, October 4. Esther long looked forward to the completion of the garden and was honored at the ceremony for her commitment that made it possible. It was a wonderful day for her; she was able to greet many old and new friends who came to the event and to remember her beloved dogs. She died peacefully in her sleep the next night, Monday October 5. Esther left this world on a high note. In lieu of flowers memorials are suggested to the Central Nebraska Humane Society.

Esther M. Highland

July 21, 1918 - October 5, 2015

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Esther M. Highland

July 21, 1918 - October 5, 2015

What We Do

Flowers & Gifts

Plan Ahead

About Us

Resources

Obituaries

Grief & Healing

Contact Information

365 Days of Grief Support