Esta Adele Struven

Esta A. Struven, much loved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend passed away at the Kingsburg Center on March 31, 2026. She will be remembered for her sweet nature, loving kindness, and great sense of humor. She was born on September 19, 1918, in Burbank, California the youngest of six children. She grew up on the Brand estate, attended school and following graduation worked in Glendale. She was married in January 1940. Shortly after marriage she and her husband moved to Massachusetts. In the 1940's she recognized the station of Baha'u'llah, became a Baha'i, and served her faith community in various ways for the rest of her life. After World War II Esta, her husband, and two young children moved to a remote area of Maine where she dealt with learning to cook on a wood stove, being four miles from a telephone, living for a year with no electricity, and a well that went dry the first summer. In the 1950's the family bought a dairy farm and her skill set expanded to include driving tractors and operating milking machines. As her now four children were all in school, she dusted off her secretarial skills and worked as a secretary for a number of years. She was still doing personal banking and bill paying on line when she was 100 years old. After she and her husband retired they returned to California in the late 1970's. Retirement didn't last long; by 1980 she was the secretary for the Head Ranger and the Naturalist at Kings Canyon National Park and worked there for 12 years. While working at the park they settled in Squaw Valley in 1986. In her spare time Esta enjoyed music, reading, knitting. cross stitch, and crossword puzzles. She loved flowers and birds.

Esta is survived by children Ellen Riley of Squaw Valley, and H. Douglas Struven II (Marie) of Fryeburg, Maine; grandchildren Michael Dailey, Matthew Daily (Caitlyn) of Maine, Jeffrey Struven (Erika) and Sarah Struven of New Hampshire; Chris Struven (Kristin) of Pennsylvania; great grandchildren Stephen, Liam, Connor, Ashlyn and Everett of Maine, Kaitlyn and Gabriella of Pennsylvania, numerous nieces and nephews and many loving friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Fletcher and Cora Pomeroy; her five siblings, Mary, Elizabeth, Louise, Margaret, and Orville; her husband of 67 years H. Douglas Struven, daughter Roberta Jeane Dailey, and son Roderic Edward Struven.

A Graveside Service will be held at Squaw Valley Cemetery, 32767 Indian Guide Rd, Squaw Valley, CA 93675, US, on April 8, 2026 at 11:00am.