Ruth M,. Esau

Ruth M. Esau, 92 years of age, of Beatrice passed away at the Good Samaritan Center in Beatrice Saturday morning, November 2, 2013. She was born on February 19, 1921 in Beatrice to William and Hattie (Bergmann) Hamm and lived in the Beatrice area her entire life. Ruth graduated from Riverview Consolidated High School at Holmesville, NE in 1938, graduated from the St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in 1944, and received her BS in Natural Science from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1967. She and Robert A. Esau were married on May 10, 1946 in Beatrice. Ruth started the Home Health Satellites in Hebron, Fairbury, and Pawnee City; served as the director of the Home Health Agency at the Beatrice Community Hospital from 1974-1980, started the pre-natal and blood pressure screenings under Home Health, and was instrumental in starting the Immunization Clinic in Gage County and the Hospice Program. She was a former member of the American Nurses Association; Nebraska Association District 3; the Nebraska Home Health Association; Nebraska World Organization of China Painters; Blue Bell China Painters; Homestead Homemakers Club; Knitting Club; and the Beatrice Community Hospital Guild. Ruth was named the Woman of the Year in 1978 by the Women's Division of the Beatrice Chamber of Commerce. She was a member of the First Mennonite Church, R. Beatrice and the Women's Mission Circle of the church. Ruth enjoyed china painting, playing cards, reading magazines and newspapers, doing hand work of all kinds, visiting with friends, and collecting spoons.
Survivors include her sons Kent Esau and wife Patricia of Beatrice, and Robert W. Esau and wife Barbara of Hesston, KS; daughter Ann Esau Kerl and husband Jerald W. of Lecanto, Florida; 3 grandchildren; 8 great grandchildren; 5 step grandchildren: 14 step great grandchildren and many step great great grandchildren; brother William J. Hamm and wife Irene of Beatrice; sisters in law Betty Esau, and Martha Goossen and husband Louis, all of Beatrice; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents William and Hattie (Bergmann) Hamm; husband Robert A. Esau (2004); brother Edgar Hamm and wife Dorothy; brother in law Harvey Esau; and sister in law Gladys Hamm.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at the First Mennonite Church, R. Beatrice with Reverend Brett Klingenberg officiating. Public interment will be held at 10:00 AM Wednesday at the Mennonite Cemetery. The body will lie in state Tuesday from 10-9:00 PM at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice with the family greeting friends from 5-7:00 PM, and not at the church. A family prayer service will be held at 10:45 AM Wednesday at the church. A memorial has been established to Bethel College with Norman Reimer and Ross Reimer in charge. Sign Ruth's online guest book at www.ghchapel.com.
These services have been entrusted to the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice.