Esther Crawford

A gathering for family and friends of Esther Crawford will be held from 2-4pm Saturday, July 11, 2020 at the Oshkosh United Methodist Church. 

Esther Crawford, 89, of Oshkosh passed away early Thursday morning, January 23, 2020 at the Regional West Garden County Nursing Home.

Memorial Services are being planned for the Spring and will be posted when available.

Memorials in Esther’s name can be made to the Oshkosh United Methodist Church (310 W 3^rd Oshkosh, NE 69154) or to the Regional West Garden County Foundation-Nursing Home (1100 W 2^nd St. Oshkosh, NE 69154). Condolences for Rodney can be mailed to:  Rodney Crawford 12111 East Highway 181 Wilcox, AZ 85642

Holechek-Bondegard Funeral Home and Cremations in Oshkosh is serving the Crawford family.

Esther June Crawford was born on June 11, 1930 in Hooker County, Nebraska to Harold and Emma June Robinson.  She had 2 brothers, Dale Harold and Alan Virgil.  Ester graduated from Thomas County High School at Thedford in 1948 as Valedictorian and was the last surviving member of her class.  She taught rural school for two years then attended Kearney State College and obtained her 2-year teaching certificate.  She then transferred to Chadron State College where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Education.

She was a member of the sorority of Alpha Pi and a member of Cardinal Key.  After graduating from Chadron State she was employed in Mitchell for 3 years as a first grade teacher.  She then transferred to Alliance and taught second grade for 5 years.  She took the Dale Carnegie course after which she helped as a graduate assistant for several classes.  Next, she attended the University of Wyoming at Laramie where she earned her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education.  In 1960, she was helping with the Dale Carnegie class in Oshkosh where she met the love of her life, Bob Crawford.  Bob and Esther were married on July 24, 1961 and with this marriage Esther became a mother to Bob’s 7-year-old son, Rodney. 

Esther was the second-grade teacher in Oshkosh from 1964 until her retirement in 1995.  She had served many children and adults alike in those 31 years.  She was loved and revered by all who met her.  She was a member of the United Methodist Church and was a member of the United Methodist Women.  She, Bob, and Rod built their home in the country in 1972.  She loved to garden and take care of her lawn as well as sewing all her own clothes for work.  She enjoyed cooking, reading and visiting with friends and family.

Esther is survived by her son, Rodney and wife, Val; brother Allen and wife, Janice Robinson; grandson, Fred and wife, Dawn Wilcox; nieces, Jan Brown and Jeanie Cheney; and many other nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbors, friends, and former students.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband in 2015; brother Dale Robinson and granddaughter, Tamberli.