Obit: King, Esther Clara #2 (1928 - 2014)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: King, Selves, Pretsch, Dux, Nicks, Gentry, Krause, Overlien, Fisher, Nicks, Cardella, Jelinek, Meshnick, Anderson, Bauer

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 1/08/2014

King, Esther Clara (14 April 1928 - 5 January 2014)

Esther C. King, 85, of Neillsville died Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield.

Esther Clara Pretsch was born April 14, 1928, in Clark County, the daughter of Fred and La Veda (Selves) Pretsch. She graduated from Granton High School in 1946 and went to work at the Dime Store. She was united in marriage to Harry King Aug. 8, 1946, in Neillsville. They both worked at the Quinnell Fur Farm in Pine Valley until they bought a dairy farm in 1952, where together they farmed and raised their family. Harry and Esther sold the family farm in 1976 and built a new home a mile away on Sydney Ave. Esther enjoyed gardening, card parties and Friday TV nights, when all the neighbors would come over. She was known for a kind heart and always taking care of others. She took care of her siblings when needed through the years and loved to watch her grandchildren. She also babysat for a neighboring family. Esther was a member of the Calvary Lutheran Church in Neillsville.

Esther is survived by her husband of 67 years, Harry; five children, Jerry (Lynn) King of Neillsville, Jeanette King of Marshfield, Mary (Eugene) Dux of Neillsville, Jean (Ken) Nicks of Boaz and Lori (Jim) Gentry of Winneconne; eight grandchildren: Travis (Karen) King, Brendt (Marilyn) King, EuGene (Karyn ) Krause, DuWayne (Liisa) Krause, Michael (Rachel) Dux, Matthew (Brandi) Dux, Kate and Claire Gentry; five step grandchildren: Tanya (Dan) Overlien, Jennifer (Cory) Fisher, Ken (Barb) Nicks, Jr., Matthew(Janice) Nicks and Anthony Nicks; 20 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. She is further survived by two brothers, Earl Pretsch of Neillsville and Jerry (Carol) Pretsch of Stratford; two sisters, Marie Cardella of West Bend, and Arlene (Donald) Jelinek of Neillsville.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Richard and Walter Pretsch, and one grandson, Eugene Krause.

Funeral services for Esther will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Neillsville. Pastor Judith Anderson-Bauer will officiate. Providing music will be Kathy Meshnick, pianist. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday morning at the church. Interment will be made in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

Casketbearers will be her grandchildren, Travis King, Brendt King, EuGene Krause, DuWayne Krause, Michael Dux, Matthew Dux, Kate and Claire Gentry.

Online condolences may be made at www.geschefh.com.  The Gesche Funeral Home is assisting Esther’s family with funeral arrangements.