Hester Friedly Clark

Hester Mabelle Friedly was born to Mary and Benjamin Friedly on May 17, 1926 in the small Nebraska town of Verdon. She was the youngest of three daughters; her siblings were Thelma and Marion. Her parents were farmers and her childhood seemed right out of a Norman Rockwell painting, with kerosene lanterns for light, horse drawn sleighrides in the winter with jingle bells, and walking from the farm to a one room school house. The one room school house only went as far as 8th grade, so she and her siblings lived with their maternal grandparents in Falls City, NE to attend to high school.

Hester graduated from high school at 16 and enrolled in Peru State Teacher College in Peru, Nebraska. She was in the Who’s Who of American College Students. Hester met a young World War II Navy veteran named Robert “Bob” Clark, whom she would later marry on June 25, 1950. Bob worked on a geophysical crew; he was a Doodle Bugger. The crew constantly moved to follow assignments, and the young couple lived in scores of locations across the western United States over a short period of time. Their first child, Carol, was born in 1951 on a cold November day in North Dakota. Their second child, Cynthia, was born in 1954 in Houston. They decided Houston would be home and their last two children, Catherine and Robert Jr, were both born in Houston in 1956 and 1963, respectively.

Hester became very involved with their church, St. James Lutheran. She held multiple leadership roles, sang in the choir, participated with women’s groups and ran the nursery during Sunday school. She was a Girl Scout leader and took her troop to Mexico City. There were many family trips to Nebraska over the years, some by train. The travel often included a camping detour along the way. She traveled to Canada, Mexico, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Thailand, as well as many states in the U.S.A.

The many guests that she hosted for extended stays at her home included Boy Scouts from Mexico, a school teacher from Japan and a foreign exchange student from Guatemala. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were opened to all who needed a place to celebrate.

All four of her children played in the Spring Branch High School Band. So, of course, Hester was a dedicated band booster. One of the band fund raisers involved selling stadium seats, so she offered her home to be a makeshift warehouse, filling the living room from floor to ceiling with boxes. She was often a band chaperone and once traveled to California when the band performed at the Rose Bowl parade.

Hester would visit nursing homes to share fellowship with the residents, bringing her young son along, knowing that the residents loved to see children. When she was in good health, she routinely gave blood.

Hester’s love extended to animals; there were always pets in her house, including litters of puppies and kittens. She even set her bathroom up as a brooder when Robert Jr. won a chick at a school carnival.

Another passion that Hester pursued was teaching for Literacy Advancement, with an emphasis on English as a Second Language [ESL]. The family grew over the years to 7 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Hester retired after a long career with Sears Roebuck and became more active in volunteer work, achieving the Houston Mayor’s Award for Volunteer Service in 1997 from Houston Mayor Bob Lanier.

Bob and Hester had a long and happy union. She lost Bob in 2007 after 57 years of marriage. Bob and Hester loved each other dearly and were the cornerstone of the Clark family.

In 2020, Hester moved to Memory Care at Heartis, now Discovery Village. The love and care provided by the staff was beyond what any family could hope for. Her eyes would light up and there would be a smile on her face whenever staff members would greet her, proving their mutual love.

The care provided by Stacie Hicks and Karen Obioma of Trinity Hospice was truly remarkable. The staff of Discovery Village is also to be commended. They showed her respect and dignity while providing incredible care and love.

We lost Hester on September 26, 2025 at 5:54 pm. She passed with loved ones by her side. Hester is survived by her children: Carol Williams, Cynthia St. John (Donald), Catherine McDaniel (Jimmy) and Robert Jr. (Susanne). Grandchildren: Joannah Gonzales (T.J.), Nola Gonzales (Stephen), Jonathan McDaniel (Carissa), Matthew Thompson (Morgan), Tyler Williams (Lupe), Caitlin Williams and Annabelle Clark. Great Grandchildren: Marlena McVey; Emily and Charlotte Williams; Elianna Glidewell; Harley Gonzales; Lillian, Isabella, Gianna and Tatum Gonzales; and Johnny and Emma McDaniel.

Visitation will be held at Pat Foley & Company Funeral Home on Friday 10/10/ 2025 at 12:00 pm. Funeral services will follow at the same location at 1:00 pm.