Esther M. Morrison

Esther Marie Morrison, age 97, went home to be with her Lord on December 21, 2012. She is welcomed into heaven by her husband, Vernon Morrison; daughter, Kathleen Kathy Jemelka and son, John Morrison. Esther will be deeply missed by daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Loren Nickelson; son-in-law, Brad Jemelka; daughter-in-law, Mary Morrison; grandchildren, Andrea Jemelka, Angee (Jeremy) Nephew, Jason (Connie) Jemelka, Scott (Alison) Nickelson, Christina (Graham) McManus, Lindsay (Jeff) Balmer, Emily (Mike) Van Handel, and Andrew Morrison; 11 great grandchildren; brother, Lawrence Carlson; other relatives and friends. A memorial service to honor Esthers life will be held at 11:00 AM, Monday, Dec. 31st at Elim Lutheran Church, 20971 Olinda Trail North, Scandia with a gathering of family and friends beginning at 10 AM. Interment will follow in Elim Lutheran Cemetery, Scandia. Memorials are preferred to Elim Foundation and Parmly Chaplaincy. Linda Remembers. . . Louise Engstrom called her Queen Esther. We called her Mom and Grandma. The great-grandkids called her GG in the wheelchair. Most of you called her friend. The Lord knew her as His precious child and he called her home so very swiftly on Friday morning, December 21st and for that we are grateful. She would have been 98 on February 28th. When He placed her on this earth, He instilled in her the gift of music. By the time she was three years old, she could play on the piano, anything that she had heard once. She used this gift to bring glory to Him throughout her life. Without music lessons she became the organist at her church in Minneapolis. In 1946, her cousin Alvar Walfrid who ws the pastor at Elim, asked her to come to Scandia as the organist. She and her parents motored out from South Mpls. on a Spring morning, only to be stuck in a mud hole in front of Carl Lunds driveway. Grandma told her that Scandia was too primitive and that she should remain in Minneapolis. That cinched it! She became the organist the next week. The first funeral she played for was A.E. Morrisons. His son, Vernon called her shortly after the funeral and asked her to go fishing. She said yes, he hung up and she had no idea who her fishing date was with. At that time, she lived above George Burglunds store. Mom sat at the window watching the street below for her mystery date. The fishing trip was a success and they were married October 25, 1947. John, Kathy, and I were born within a tow and a half year period. Mom had the gift of hospitality. She loved to entertain and opened our home to anyone who was willing to come. Because we lived on the Morrison family farm, Grandma Morrison and Uncle Oliver lived with us also. Our aunts, uncles and cousins would spend time with us in the summer. Our dining room table seated 24 and was always full at the holidays. People would say that Mom would make entertaing look so easy. Mom believed in education of any sort. She attend Luther Bible Institute, MacPhail School of Music (later in life she felt that she should learn how to read music), Globe Business College so that she could start her own Morrison Tax Service and the U of M, studying real estate law. She knew as much as my father did about her insurance business and was a partner to him in every sense of the word. When Dad was in final stages of his life, she took care of him. Everyday Mom took him for a ride. When hospice informed her that a hospice patient could leave their home only for a doctor vist, she enlisted the help of Dr. Frenning and the two of them soon had that rule changed. She fought at the Capital for Senior Citizen rights. She fought at the IRS for her clients rights and when she had the stroke, she fought to continue making her life an example to others in the same situation. She could still enjoy life -- without being able to speak, she spoke volumes. To loose a child is difficult. She lost two. Her strong faith in God never waivered. She said that it gave her such peace to know that they both had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Dad died at home. Mom and Kathy were at a Gammelgarden event. While Loren went to find them, the house started to fill with friends who had been nudged by the Holy Spirit to stop by. When the three returned, the home was full of people, people who loved Mom and Dad. Mom immediately comforted them and as Dads body was being removed from their home, Mom sat down at the piano and said, Lets send him out with a song. After Kathy died, Mom told me that during the night she hear the most beautiful music. She understood it to be a piece not yet composed but that it was more beautiful than anything she had ever heard. She is right now, in the presence of those she loved and that beautiful music.