Esther Lois Young

Esther told me, “we all have to go through it.” She was referring to losing someone.

She was born in Duluth on April 1, 1920 to John and Sophie Berg. They lived in the Lakewood area and Esther graduated from Lakewood High School.

On August 16, 1940, she married Arthur E. Young and gained a devoted mother and father-in-law, twin sisters and a brother. She and her husband built a home in the Lakeside area, near the family, which was enjoyed for many years.

Esther, “Ett”, as we often called her, welcomed people to her home; especially the kitchen. There, one could relax with a cup of coffee, her homemade cookies & breads, and best of all – her presence! The seasonal gift of berries and cucumbers, produced jams, jellies, pickles and relish. Making it was the fun. Sharing it with others was the joy!

Her prayers were for many and her healing thoughts were often needed. She was a gift to family and friends; a person you would remember even if you met her once. The American and Norwegian flags are waving over her garden today.

She was a member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Duluth.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Arthur; and a sister, Alice.

Esther is survived by her son, Roger Young of Duluth; daughter, Janet (Karl) Nikolai of Eagle River, WI; granddaughters, Nicole (Tim) Mattson of Virginia, MN and Natasha Nikolai of Minneapolis; a grandson, Nicholas Young of Canada; a sister, Georgia (Stuart) Walker of Eagan, MN; many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Visitation: 1:00 p.m. until the 2:00 p.m. Funeral Service on Sunday, February 26 at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 1325 N. 45th Ave. E., Duluth. Please leave a memory of Esther or words of support for the family at www.bellbrothersjarvidowd.com

My Grandma, My Angel

Hi, I’m Natasha. Esther’s Granddaughter – daughter of Janet and Karl.

Thank you so much to all of our friends and family who could be here today; and to the many people that reached out with love, prayers + memories of my grandma the past week.

It was really difficult to summarize into a few paragraphs how I feel about my grandma, the picture that I hold of her in my mind and everything she gave to me in our 35 years together. I laid awake the past few nights trying figure out how to express myself and honor such an amazing woman.

I guess it all started with the little slice of heaven-on-earth that my grandparents built together at 4421 Jay St. And lucky for me – I was born into the house that resided nextdoor to them. I spent the first year of my life at grandma’s kitchen table surrounded by her baked cookies, coffee + good conversation. I don’t remember any of this of course (I was but a baby); but the love in that household started right then and there, and has followed me through my life.

Although we moved to South Carolina, and then Wisconsin while I was younger – the distance never seemed great. I spent many holidays and summers with my grandparents. They traveled to see us often, and we drove up that steep driveway countless times to visit them. The thing I remember most about arriving at my grandma’s house, was her reaction when you walked in the door. Every visit was like a grand entry. Her eyes would light up, her hands would clasp together with joy and she would say “Oh Natasha!”. It was as-if you were a celebrity meeting your biggest fan. I always looked forward to that part – and then the goodbyes were monumental too. She would tear up a bit, follow you all the way to the door, watch you get in your car and then race back to her living room picture window to wave to you. It was an unspoken rule – you had to pause at the bottom of the hill, roll down the window, honk and wave back. This was the comforting “See you again soon” – never good bye.

As I grew up and ventured to college in Duluth, and later Minneapolis for a job – I made many trips to my grandma’s house. And I was never traveling alone. She welcomed into her household so many of my friends over the years. Making them meals, offering them her fabulous baked goods; and getting to know them – because they were important to me. When I posted her obituary on Facebook, it was amazing to see how many of my friends responded, not by saying “my condolences”; but with memories of visiting her home and the wonderful person that she was.

My grandma always took a vested interested in my life, and anyone that was close to her. She was a great listener – and she had the time of day for anyone who needed it. She never seemed rushed or bothered. And she always had a good word for everyone, and a prayer for everyone. During my visits to grandma’s house, I remember saying goodnight to her; and she would be immersed in her prayers for the evening. She prayed for everyone, and I mean everyone. I’m pretty sure her mail man, milk man and Schwan’s delivery man all made the list.

Ettie’s laughter and smile was infectious. And it didn’t take much to make her happy. Her “little shack” as she called it, was has her kingdom. Making canned goods in the basement, gardening in her backyard and baking in her kitchen was everything to her. Well ok, maybe not everything… And this was my absolute favorite thing to tell my friends when they would meet her. My grandma is a HUGE sports fan. “No, really …. Football, Hockey, Baseball… and wait for it – her #1… Wrestling”. I would say to my friends – “yeah, don’t worry….my grandma will have the game on; and she’ll wanna talk shop with you.” To this day – there is still a WWF poster hanging in her canning cellar that my college friend gave her for Christmas.

Yep, my grandma was a cool lady.

And I can’t stress enough – she was a lady. Always dressed neat-as-a-pin, everything was pressed (including my grandpa’s underwear), her house organized and the meals just appeared like magic. No matter what life handed her, she was gracious and carried herself with such composure. Her words were well thought out; and her advice was always worth taking.

On days when simple things seem like a struggle, I often think about what she endured in her life. How hard she worked to provide for her family. How much time she spent sharing her talents to bring joy to everyone around her. And how little she asked of others. Why can’t I be more like that? To be more of grace, to be more like my grandmother.

But I suppose that is the message God is sending when he called my grandmother to heaven. Her departure from our lives is only physical. Her spirit will always live within us; but it’s up to us (her family and friends) to continue sharing her light, her good will and most importantly – her recipes.

As many of you probably know – my grandma loved to hit the casino in her later years. And she was always winning!! Her luck was insane – call it karma, good fortune.. I don’t know.

I like to think that anyone who truly knew my grandma, and called her a friend, was also incredibly lucky.

And if you were part of her family – you pretty much hit the JACKPOT!

I love you grandma. Thank you for loving me.

As your coffee cup reads - “Not only are you Perfect; but you’re also Norwegian.”