Esther Hinze
December 19, 1924 — July 24, 2015
Esther Leona (Stevens) Hinze, 90, of Gothenburg, NE, went home to be with the Lord while her four sons sang “The Old Rugged Cross” on Friday evening, July 24, 2015. She was the third of four children born to Albert and Elizabeth (Fickenscher) Stevens on December 19, 1924 on the family farm north of Gothenburg.
She was baptized and confirmed at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. She graduated from Gothenburg High School 1942. Following High School, she obtained her teaching certificate and taught in country school for three years, and married Robert OE Hinze, March 2nd, 1947. To this union four sons were born, Steven, Grant, Mathieu and Mark.
Esther loved to sing; “Oh Holy Night”, and sang soprano in the church choir, loved to garden, cook and sew (Thursday’s off - ‘Quilting at the Church’) and encouraged her sons and grandchildren to always love and serve the Lord. She tirelessly served the Lord!
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Robert “Bob” Hinze, sister Genevieve and her husband Reakus Franzen, brother LaVern Stevens, sister in-law Luberta Harrington and husband Harvey, brother in-laws Norman Mann, and Kenny Bauman and her great granddaughter Elizabeth Ann Hinze.
She is survived by her four sons and there wives: Steven (Shari) Hinze - North Platte, Grant (Kay) Hinze - Holdrege, Mathieu (Julie) Hinze - Lincoln and Mark (Jan) Hinze - Grand Island; fifteen grandchildren; Robert (Jen) Hinze, Todd (Lori) Hinze, Michelle (Dan) Allen, Monte (Kacie) Hinze, Jaime (Joe) Burkink, Megan Hinze, Janelle Hinze, Creighton (Cassidy) Hinze; Garth (Holly) Hinze, Erin (Tim) Watson, Haley (Matt) Larson, Wilson Hinze; Tim (Alicia) Hinze, Jason Hinze, Trenton (Whitney) Hinze and twenty-two great grandchildren and four soon to be born; Sister; Marilyn Mann Bauman of Hutchinson, KS, sister in-law; Marian Stevens - Gothenburg. A host of nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at Blase-Strauser Memorial Chapel, Gothenburg, Nebraska; Friday, July 31, 2015, 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm with the family present from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Funeral Services will be held at Zion Lutheran Church, Saturday, August 1, 2015 at 10:30 am with Pastor Carol Mapa officiating.
Burial will follow in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Gothenburg, Nebraska.
A Memorial has been established in her honor and kindly suggested to Zion Lutheran Church in Gothenburg.