Nellie ‘Esther’ Green
Nellie Esther Green, wonderful wife to Bill, mother to Diane, Mike, Scott and Brad, went to rest with the Lord on Feb. 11, 2018, at the age of 96.
She was born to Nels and Emma Walen on July 30, 1921, at the family farm in Corinth, North Dakota. She attended school in Crosby, North Dakota, graduating at age 16.
Mom attended Business College in Fargo, North Dakota, where she was recruited by a business where she worked for nine years. She worked briefly in Great Falls, and then moved to Billings. She was the first stenographer for the Billings Conoco Refinery, and was one of the 49ers and the last survivor of the original startup crew.
Mom and her girlfriends lived in a four-plex below her future family members or late Uncle Fred and Aunt Ruth. She met her husband when he stopped to visit them from a coastal fishing trip after his time in the Navy.
Esther and Bill were married in Billings at the English Lutheran Church on Oct. 8,1950. They moved to Shepherd in 1955. Mother stayed home to raise her children, working odd jobs at times to help out. One of her odd jobs was
weighing silage trucks. She was active in Home Extension, Lutheran Women’s group, and any sport she could watch, especially when her children and grandchildren were involved. She was involved with the church choir and, in 1970, became the church organist and pianist, where she proudly played for over 40 years.
Mom loved to bowl and was very good at it, taking pride in her many accomplishments and, in the off-season, played golf. Her true love was singing with the Sweet Adeline’s. She was the pitch pipe lady, and sewed their costumes for their many shows and competitions. This brought her true joy, as Mom had a beautiful voice.
Her parents and her five siblings preceded Esther in death.
Mom is survived by her husband, Bill, of Shepherd; her children, Diane (Glen) Grote, Mike (Janie) Green, Scott (Durene) Green, and Brad (Sandie) Green; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Shepherd.
Memorials may be given to Emmanuel Lutheran Church General Fund.
Very sorry for your family’s loss! She was a great woman and she will be missed!