Esther Herley

Funeral services for Esther Herley age 94 of Bentonville, Arkansas formerly of Clearwater will be 10:30 am, Wednesday, January 31, 2007 at Concordia Lutheran Church with pastor Daniel Feusse officiating. Music was provided by Caroline Jaeke organist. Burial will be in the Clearwater cemetery . Pallbearers were Scott D. Kent, Dick Fabricus, Kenneth Kruger, Charlie Allemang, Seth Bolling and Andrew Bolling. Honorary pallbearers were Mitchell Kent, Alexander Kent, Matthew Bolling, Dan Bolling, Adam Bolling and Nathan Bolling. Visitation will be 4- 8:00 pm Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at Snider Memorial Funeral Home in Clearwater. Esther passed away January 25, 2007 at the Gardens in Bentonville, AR where she had made her home since 2003. Esther Henrietta Bertha Wegner was born February 1, 1912 near Scribner, NE the daughter of Henry A and Bertha (Marx) Wegner. She was seven years old when her parents moved to a ranch north of Ewing which was then known as the Sievers Ranch and became known later as the Wegner Ranch. It was at this early age she began taking piano lessons from Sadie Brion. She attended rural schools and graduated from Ewing High School in 1928. She attended Wayne State College for two years where she continued in music and was a pianist at the small church she attended. After graduation she taught Dist. 21 school near Clearwater for two years and one year near Laurel, NE. On August 6, 1936, she was united in marriage to Lowell W. Herley by the Rev. O.E. Schlecht at the Lutheran Parsonage in Battle Creek, NE. Lowell passed away in 1988. The first church service she played for was at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church located south of Clearwater which later merged with the Zion Lutheran Church and moved to town. In the 1950�s the church gained an organ and that began her career as organist which she continued playing until 1991 when she retired after 30 years of serving in that capacity. All told she had 55 years of serving in the music ministry of her church. She was a lifetime member of Concordia Lutheran Church and played for hundreds of weddings, funerals and church services over the years. She was also recording secretary for the church and held an office in Concordia Ladies Aide. In 1954 she went to work as a linotype operator at the Clearwater Record for Carroll Schneckloth and continued in that capacity for 30 years. Survivors include her son Roland L Herley of Lincoln, NE, a daughter Dianne and her husband Denton Kent of Bentonville, AR., 2 grandchildren Scott Kent of Waukesha, WI and Holly of Bentonville, AR, one sister Evelyn and her husband Lester Gamel of Granton, WI, a brother in law Roger Wunner of Norfolk, NE and two great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and sisters: Isabella Stelling, Viola Phillips, and Laura Wunner.