Esther Belle Austin Galliher Crosby

At age 18, on July 12, 1952, she married James Houston Galliher, and together they had six children, Wayne Houston (who died at birth), James Dennis (Faye), Randy Austin (Janet), Carlton Eugene (Melanie), Deborah G. Fox (Joel) & Shirley M. Black (Michael).

She experienced many seasons of life as a wife surviving two husbands, mother to five surviving children, grandmother of 13 beautiful grandchildren, great grandmother to 20 breathtaking great children, and most recently she became a great, great grandmother to two precious babies. She was an aunt to countless nieces and nephews. And although those titles are a big part of Esther’s story, none is more important than the fact that she serves a living savior and is with Him today.

If you were to ask any of the five children, one of the things that they recall the most is that she always made their favorite dessert for their birthdays. She was an amazing cook, always sure that we had plenty to eat even though the grocery budget was minimal. She accomplished this by canning and freezing most everything that we ate. Killing beef, hogs, or chicken was essential, and Esther wasn’t timid to do any of it.

Like most, Esther had her share of happy times as one would expect with a large family and some sad memories as well. She has been preceded in death by a son, Wayne Houston Galliher, seven great brothers, two loving husbands, James Houston Galliher & Victor Worth Crosby, and a wonderful daughter-in-law, Sharon White Galliher (Dennis).

Ms. Crosby’s funeral service will be held at Hebron Baptist Church on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with Pastor Darren Johnson officiating. The family will receive friends one hour before the service, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will assemble at the home of Joel & Debbie Fox.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Esther's memory to Gordon Hospice House, 2341 Simonton Rd, Statesville, NC 28625, online at https://www.hoic.org/ or to Hebron Baptist Church Building Fund, 175 Hebron Road, Statesville, NC 28625, online at https://hbcstatesville.org/give

Condolences may be left for the family at www.bunchjohnsonfuneralhome.com

Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home is honored to serve Ms. Crosby and her family.