Obituary of Esther Warkentin

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Esther was born in the Nipawin Hospital in July 1929 to Austin McCusker (Mac) and Katherine Brown. She was raised on the family farm east of Pontrilas, SK with her eight brothers and sisters. Esther got her education at the Brentwood school, the Pontrilas school, and then graduated from high school at Two Rivers Bible Institute. She went to Bible school at Miller Memorial Bible Institute. Esther went on to get her teaching certificate in Saskatoon in 1959. It was in Saskatoon that she met her soon to be husband, John Warkentin. Esther worked as a teacher for two years before marrying John on July 11,1961 in a double wedding with Esther's sister Gladys (Lake Foster) at the First Baptist church in Nipawin, SK. Between 1961 and 1972 Esther and John lived in a number of communities where John was a school teacher and were blessed with one son and two daughters. In 1972 the family moved to Nipawin Bible Institute. Esther was kept busy running the household and being involved in numerous church and mission groups. She enjoyed hosting the Bible school students for cinnamon buns and taffy pull nights. Her passions were her gardening, berry picking and coordinating 5 Day Clubs for the surrounding communities. In 1985 Esther and John left the Bible School and bought a laundromat/dry cleaners/linen supply (Tri-Cleaners) in Nipawin. Although Esther was now busier than she had ever been before she still found time to help out with Mom’s and Tot’s at the church, attend Wednesday night prayer meeting and church ladies’ groups and to have guests over for a meal. Esther enjoyed travelling and she and John fulfilled their dream of visiting Israel shortly before John passed away in February, 2000. She later went on to travel with her daughter Karen to South Korea (twice) and to Burkina Faso. Since Esther was always up for a challenge, she completed the majority of a 100 km bike ride when she was eighty. She was also very active in the Horticultural Society and won the trophy several years in a row.

Esther was predeceased by: her husband, John; her brothers: Gordon Brown, Frank Brown and Ken Brown; and by her sisters: Evelyn Anderson, Ruth Marceniuk, Norah Underhill and Selina Pawelko.

She is survived by: her children, Don Warkentin (Cathy), Cindy Larsen (Tom) and Karen Warkentin; her grandchildren: Jenni Warkentin, Ericka Nickel (Joshua), Patrick Larsen and Tait Larsen; and her sister, Gladys Foster.