Esther Mary Woodraska, 97, of Mitchell, died Feb. 8, 2016, at Diamond Care Center in Bridgewater.
Funeral services were held Thursday, Feb. 11 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Spencer, with burial at the Spencer South Cemetery. Visitation with family present was Wednesday, Feb. 10 at Kinzley Funeral Home in Spencer.
Esther was born Oct. 10, 1918, to Diedrick and Adeline (Dowhower) Radensleben in Inkster, N.D. She moved to South Dakota with her parents when she was five years old.
She married Reuben Woodraska on Feb. 20, 1937, and they lived in Letcher, Alexandria and Spencer. In September of 1995, she moved into the Spencer Apartments and lived there until moving to Mitchell after the Spencer tornado on May 30, 1998.
Esther was a cook at the Spencer School for 25 years and was a member of the Spencer VFW Ladies Auxiliary and the Trinity Lutheran ladies aid for many years. She enjoyed gardening, doing crafts, sewing and baking birthday cakes for her grandchildren.
She is survived by two sons and one daughter, Ralph (Pat) of Mitchell, Cheryl Nolan of Mitchell, and Gerald (Gary) of Maude, Texas; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; 12 great great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Esther was preceded in death by her husband, Reuben; her parents; two brothers; one sister; one sister-in-law; one son-in-law; two grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and one great great-granddaughter.
Messages of condolence may be left at www.kinzleyfh.com.