Esther M Johnson

Born July 4, 1929 in St. Clair, Michigan to Otto Carl and Mary Agnes (Baird) Hund, she married A. Warren Johnson on August 22, 1953 in Marine City, Michigan.  He died October 15, 2008 in Pekin.  She also was preceded in death by her parents.

Surviving are two sons, David W. (Tonia "Toni") Johnson of Morton and Mark C. Johnson of Pekin; two daughters, Sarah E. "Sally" (Jeffery) Knobleloch of Corpus Christi, Texas and Paula E. (Chester Lee) Paul of Bushnell; eleven grandchildren, Kristina J. (Rev. David) Carrington of Pekin, Erik W. (Breanna) Johnson of Goodfield, Jessica M. (Jared) Parsons of Pekin, Nathan E. Armbruster of Chicago, Elizabeth M. (Charles) Moench of Corpus Christi, Texas, Amanda Eileen Fairchild of Bushnell, Lisa Ann Fairchild of Rushville, Michael Lee Paul of Burlington, Iowa, Sean A. Johnson of Pekin, Joshua Rotramel of Pekin and Adriana Johnson of Pekin; fourteen great-grandchildren and one brother, Robert O. (Dolores) Hund of Silver Spring, Maryland.  She also leaves a sister-in-law, Betty L. (Glenn) Bonk of Pekin.

A 1946 graduate of Marine City (Michigan) High School, Esther graduated in 1953 from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.

Esther was a substitute teacher with North Pekin-Marquette Heights School District 102 for 6 years while residing in Marquette Heights.  She and her husband were foster parents to many from 1967 to 1978.  Esther last worked as a sales clerk at J.C. Penney's in Pekin for 8 years.

She was an active member of Grace United Methodist Church in Pekin, where she was a member and past president of the United Methodist Women.  She also had served the church as a Certified Lay Leader, member of the missions committee, as a former Sunday school teacher and as co-chair of the evangelism committee.  She was a member of the Tri-M Adult Sunday School Class, Priscilla Circle and the Bells of Grace Hand Bell Choir at the church. She also enjoyed working through the church with the mentoring program at the Pekin Housing Authority.  Esther was a member of Church Women United and in 2008, received the Valiant Women award.

Esther was a former election judge and volunteer at the Pekin Public Library.  She also was a past member of the Pekin Writers Club and a charter member of the Silent Saviors with the Pekin Park District.  She was proud to have served the Willow Primary School P.T.A. and was selected in 1970 as mother of the year by the Pekin Jaycee-ettes.  She was a former 4-H leader.  Her funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 5, 2010 at Grace United Methodist Church in Pekin.  The Rev. Gary L. Ford and Rev. David Carrington will officiate.  Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 4, 2010 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin, and also from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Saturday at the church.  Burial will be in Glendale Memorial Gardens in Pekin.Memorial contributions may be made to the United Methodist Women – Call to Prayer and Self Denial Offering in care of Grace United Methodist Church, 503 North 4th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.