Esther E. Kiggins

Esther was born April 20, 1921 in Gibbon, Nebraska, and grew up in Kearney Nebraska. She moved to North Platte, Nebraska following graduation, married, raised a daughter and was a hairdresser for 63 years. She owned her own salon for 36 of those years and was active in the local and state hairdressers' association. Esther attended the First Christian Church where she worshiped regularly, participated in various aspects of ministry and held roles of leadership.

Her North Platte family includes a sister-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews. She loved them dearly and was delighted to provide her very popular and delicious candied sweet potatoes for their Thanksgiving feast each year until she moved to Austin in May, 2004 to be close to her daughter.

New avenues of community service revealed themselves when Esther arrived in Austin at the age of 83. Her loving ways of caring for and nurturing children led to participation in the Foster Grandparent Program at her new church home, Redeemer Lutheran. She was assigned to the preschool where she was quickly embraced and became fondly known as “Grandma Esther”. She developed countless loving relationships with the children, their parents and the Redeemer staff. Many of those relationships have grown and continued until her recent death.

Esther was also known and immediately recognized at the church and her new home, Village Christian Apartments, by her car, a 1977 Chrysler Newport, driven from Nebraska. It served her well for almost 40 years until, at age of 95, she decided she no longer wanted to drive.

In addition to her volunteer work with the preschoolers, she participated in the activities at Village Christian such as the monthly potluck and birthday dinners. She also contributed to the annual bazaar by providing carefully hand-embroidered tea towels and her famous peanut brittle to sell. Because

she enjoyed helping anyone whenever and with whatever they needed, she was referred to by many as a very “loving” and “sweet” lady who will be sorely missed. For her volunteer efforts, Esther was recognized in the Coming of Age/RSVP Spirit of Service Awards.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arminta and Clifford Butolph. She is survived by her daughter Gloria Petersen, son-in-law Harold “Pete” Petersen and granddaughter Kristen Petersen of Austin. She is also survived by sister-in-law, Ethel Butolph; nieces Verdena Clark, Voneta Engler, Joleen Oosting, and Gaylene Davis, all of North Platte, Nebraska and nephew, Douglas Butolph of Omaha, Neberaska. Her survivors also include several great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Interment was at Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery on Monday, May 6, 2019. Memorial services will be held at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1500 West Anderson Lane in Austin at 10:00 am Monday, May 13, 2019.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that Memorials be sent to Redeemer Lutheran Church.