Esther Paplow

Esther Joyce Paplow age 84 of Westbrook, formerly Dundee, passed away Saturday, January 5, 2013 at the Westbrook Good Samaritan Care Center. 

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at First Lutheran Church in Dundee. 

Visitation is 4:00-7:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Westbrook Funeral Home and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday.  Interment is in First Lutheran Cemetery in Dundee.  Stephens Funeral Service – Westbrook Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. 

Esther Joyce Paplow was born October 10, 1928 in Sibley, Iowa to Henry and Katherine (Janssen) Weets.  She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.  Esther attended Lime Lake Country School near Avoca.  Esther and her sister Ramona took care of chickens and sold eggs to raise money, with which they bought a guitar.  Her childhood dream was to go to Nashville and become a country singer.  On March 23, 1947 Esther was united in marriage to Raymond Paplow in Heron Lake.  Together the couple lived and farmed near Dundee until 1990 when they moved to Westbrook.  On September 29, 2003 Raymond passed away.  Esther entered the Fulda Nursing Home on September 30, 2009.  On October 23, 2009 she moved to Westbrook Good Samaritan where she has resided since.  Esther was a member of the Red Hat Society and long-time member of First Lutheran Church in Dundee where she was active in Ladies Aid, quilting club, and Bible study.  She enjoyed quilting, crocheting, and baking brownies, banana bread, and other wonderful goodies.  Esther loved watching the boy’s wrestling matches, Dundee boy’s softball tournament, the Vikings and Twins.  She also enjoyed fishing, cleaning ducks, geese, and bullheads, and comparing prices for grocery shopping.  Esther loved spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

Esther is survived by her children: James (Sherri) Paplow of Dundee, Donald (Paula) Paplow of Dundee, Linda (John) Madson of Westbrook, Ronald (Suzie) Paplow of Dundee, and Lee (Tisha) Paplow of Dundee; grandchildren: Ashley (Travis) Kottke, Kelsey Paplow, Johanna (Michael) Leonelli, Christopher (Amy) Paplow, Whitney Paplow, Chad Paplow, Curt (Shannon) Madson, Ryan (Juliane) Paplow, Lacey Paplow, Jace Paplow, and Ivy Paplow; and great grandchildren: Taelor, Ella, and Ava Leonelli, Jenna, Blake, Sophie, and Halle Paplow, and Raymond Paplow.  She is also survived by brothers: Richard (Mabel) Weets of Lakefield, Rev. Raymond (Joann) Weets of Des Moines, IA, Roger (Marcia) Weets of Lake Wilson, and Robert (Gail) Weets of Holland; and sisters-in-law: Lois Stark of Eagle Grove, IA and Alice Weets of Tyler.  She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Raymond, and siblings Geraldine, Lawrence, Ramona, Henry, Frank, Marjorie, and Jerry.