Esther Victoria Seckman, age 97, of Sac City, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, August 30, 2008 at the Loring Hospital in Sac City.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., at the First Baptist Church in Sac City on Thursday, September 4, 2008, Reverend Gary Witte officiating.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, September 3, 2008, from 6-8 p.m. at Farber and Otteman Funeral Home in Sac City. Farber and Otteman is in charge of the arrangements.

Esther Victoria Olson was born on June 21, 1911 to John and Lena (Benson) Olson in Ida County, Iowa. She was baptized and joined the Arthur Baptist Church on February 18, 1923. She transferred her membership to the First Baptist Church in Sac City in 1958. She was very active in her church and held many offices in both churches. She was also a long-time member of the Eastern Star.

She attended rural elementary school schools in Sac County. She graduated from Odebolt High School and went on to further her education with a teaching degree from Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa

Esther had an active teaching career that spanned over 19 years at rural schools in Cook and Richland Township in Sac County. She spent eight years in the Schaller Public Schools and two years in the Lytton Public School system.

She was united in marriage to her first husband Perry Ross, but was widowed shortly thereafter. She met her would-be second husband with a little help from her friends, at a monthly card club gathering. On July 19, 1959 Esther was married to Ross Seckman and they made their home in Sac City. She was once known to say that she “became a wife, mother and grandmother all in one week” with the birth of their first grandchild. Esther was no stranger to hard work. After losing both of her parents by age 10, Esther and her siblings managed to keep the family farm. In her later years, she cared for many including Ross’s first father-in-law, his mother, and then Ross himself after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She was an eternal caregiver and was also described as being “an angel sent from Heaven to care for us.” Without ever a complaint and a great sense of humor, she is truly now an angel in heaven.

Left to cherish her memory are her step-son: Ronald (Jeanine) Seckman of Colorado; step-daughter: Karen (Frank) Wilson of Lawler, Iowa; step-grandchildren: Lamont (Susan) Seckman; Felicia Seckman; Alison (Phil) Jarquio of Warner Robbins, GA; great-step-grandchildren: Michael and Charlotte Seckman; Phillip, Sebastian, and Vincent Jarquio.

Preceded in death by husbands Perry Ross; Ross Seckman; her parents John and Lena; brothers: Arthur (Erma) Olson; Oscar (Ruth) Olson; Clarence Olson; Ernest (Edna) Olson; Henry Olson; sisters: Elna Olson; Hilma (John) Siebrecht; sister-in-law: Carrie (Robert) Patts; brothers-in-law Archie Seckman; and Cleo (Olevia) Seckman.