Funeral services for Esther Rafteseth, age 93, of Elgin, will be 10:30am Saturday, January 21, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Elgin. Pastor Wayne Rouse will officiate with burial in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery.

A family service will be held at 7:00pm on Friday evening at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home with Pastor Ellis Ryherd, officiating.

Serving as casketbearers are Rod Skretteberg, David Bauer, Norman Shawchuck, Ellis Ryherd, Donald and Vance Benson. All friends and neighbors are considered honorary bearers.

ESTHER E. JOHNSON was born May 2, 1912 near the Cedar River north of Keldron, SD. She was the oldest of ten children born to Rudolph and Emma (Johnson) Johnson. Esther attended the Knoke School north of Keldron and North Lemmon Consolidated Schools. She graduated from Morristown High School in 1932 and then attended college at Dickinson Normal. She taught in various country schools for five years.

She met Harold Rafteseth at a dance near Pretty Rock. They were united in marriage on July 12, 1936 at Bismarck. They lived on his parents farm fourteen miles south of Elgin. In addition to farming and ranching, they also operated a trucking business. Harold passed away on July 31, 1986. Esther continued to live on the farm, milking cows and doing the farm work.

She moved to Dakota Hills in December 2000 where she has resided since. She passed from this life on Tuesday evening January 17, at the Jacobson Memorial Care Center in Elgin at the age of 93 years, 8 months, 18 days.

Esther was a member of the Pretty Rock Homemakers Club, The Farmers Union Local, Immanuel Lutheran Mission Society, Jacobson Memorial Hospital Auxillary, and was the Pretty Rock Township Clerk for over 60 years. She enjoyed sewing, embroidering, gardening, bowling, and visiting friends. She embroidered over 180 sets of dish towels for the Jacobson Memorial Hospital.

Surviving family members include her daughter and son-in-law, Darlene and Lester Nicklaus, Elgin, ND; son and daughter-in-law, John and Sharon Rafteseth, Elgin, ND; 4 grandsons, Corey, Travis (Sherri), Troy (Stacey), and Brandon (Melanie) Rafteseth; 8 great grandchildren; 1 sister, Lillian Moen, Mankato, MN; 4 sisters-in-law, Ethel Johnson, Lemmon, SD; Ruby Johnson, Great Falls, MT; Eldora Johnson, St. Paul, MN; Dorothy Johnson, Morristown, SD; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Harold, 7 brothers, Leonard, Evert, Elmer, twins Lester and Chester, Roy, and Raymond Johnson; and 1 sister, Martha Anderson.

Visitation will be Friday 1:00 to 7:00pm at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Elgin and on Saturday one hour prior to services at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Elgin.

A memorial has been established.