Esther M. Montgomery

Esther M. Montgomery, a lifetime Marshall County resident, living at Garden Courts East, 501 Pennsylvania Ave., Plymouth, for the past 2 1/2 years, has died. Esther, 72, died, following an illness, at 5:05 p.m. on Thursday, August 30, 2001, in Hospice House of St. Joseph County, South Bend. Esther was born in St. Joseph County on October 31, 1928. She was the daughter of Paul O. and Elizabeth M. Grieger Gunther. She graduated from LaPaz High School with the class of 1946. On May 17, 1947, in Plymouth, Esther and Baxter L. Montgomery were married. Baxter died on July 10, 1977. Esther was first employed at Montgomery Ward. She later worked at Krogers, J.C. Penny’s and Yoders. For 22 years she was a sales clerk and then manager at Dorothy’s Hallmark Store, retiring in 1993. She was adept at all kinds of handiwork, especially quilting and crocheting. She made Raggedy Ann dolls for all of her grandchildren and quilts for most every member of the family. Esther enjoyed playing euchre, Cubs baseball and her two son’s softball games. She took a particular interest in her grandchildren and their activities. She attended the Pretty Lake Trinity United Methodist Church, Plymouth. Esther is survived by two daughters, two sons, a step-daughter and step-son. Her daughters are Linda D. and Jim Manring and Deborah A. Van Blaricom, all of Plymouth. Her sons are: Steven W. and Mary Montgomery, South Bend and Todd L. and Bethany Montgomery, Plymouth, and step daughter Toni L. and Larry Morris, Mishawaka, and step-son, Delbert W. and Stephane Montgomery, South Bend. Surviving, in addition to her 12 grandchildren, she has 14 great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and two sisters-in-law, Dorothy Gunther Heflick, Plymouth, and Maude Gunther, Titusville, Fla. Esther was preceded in death by her parents, her spouse and by two brothers, Fred and Oscar “Pete” Gunther. Visitation with the family will be from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, September 4, 2001, in the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth. Funeral services, conducted by the Rev. Paul McBride, will follow visitation at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in the funeral home. Burial will be in New Oakhill Cemetery, Plymouth. Memorial gifts may be made to Hospice House of St. Joseph County.