Esther Weisbeck | December 13, 1937 - August 15, 2022
Obituaries-Mobridge / Posted Aug 17, 2022 | 11:26 AM / 405 views
Esther Weisbeck, 84, passed away August 15, 2022 at United Living Community, Brookings, SD. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, August 22 at 10:30 am at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Herreid, SD. Visitation will be held Sunday, August 21 at 5:30 pm with a prayer service and rosary beginning at 6:30 pm at St. Michael’s Catholic Church.
Esther Eleanor Mattern was born December 13, 1937 in Strasburg, ND to Balser and Cecelia (Kramer) Mattern. She was the 2nd oldest child of ten children. At the age of 14 she began working at the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) in Linton, ND during the summer months. This would prove to be her life-long career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A handsome young man named Mark Weisbeck began coming to the Blueroom in Strasburg for dances on weekends. They started dating and were married June 11, 1958 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Strasburg. The couple moved to a farm four miles south of Herreid and began their farming career. Together, Mark and Esther raised five children. Esther began working at the ASCS office in Mound City, SD and after 40 years of service, she retired but still remained active serving on the Farm Service Agency County Committee. Esther took great pride serving the producers in Campbell County. She was an incredibly dedicated employee and loved her working relationships with her co-workers.
After retirement, Esther truly enjoyed her time on the farm. She was very diligent about keeping an eye on “the guys.” When younger, she was known to milk a full bucket of milk before the other guys barely got started. She took a very active role during calving season and the Weisbeck Seed Farm business. Accurate records were a given when Esther was involved.
Esther was a long-time member of St. Michaels Catholic Church, St. Michaels Altar Society and also served on the parish council. She enjoyed singing in the church choir for many years. Esther was also an active member of the Herreid Senior Center where she loved to play whist and pinochle.
Her entire life she loved to dance to the good ole’ polka and waltz music. Mark and Esther won many polka contests in North Dakota when they attended polka fests. They also entertained friends by hosting dances in the machine shed on the farm while Mark played the accordion. She always enjoyed when Mark would play his accordion downstairs as she taught some of her kids to dance in the kitchen.
A few months after Mark’s passing on Christmas night December of 2020, her oldest daughter, Sheila, joined her on the farm to assist in her care. Esther would often be seen driving the Ranger to check the cows and crops. She enjoyed her weekly “social” time after church and playing bingo in town and the two of them started using up some of the extra gas that was saved during the 64 years of marriage to Mark. They went on some traveling excursions which did not include implement dealerships to look at equipment or shopping trips where 6 gallons of ice cream were purchased at one time. She flew with Sheila down to Arizona and enjoyed her morning coffee time with Myron chatting about whatever was happening that day. Then off to California to meet for the first time, great grand-daughter, Flora and visited her parents, Adrien and Amber and also granddaughter, Ashley. After a quick plane ride home, they visited close family in Bismarck, ND and then to Brookings, SD to visit Bob, Karen and family. They would enjoy short trips to Jeff and Suzanne’s farm near Wessington, SD. It was at this time, she was able to “instruct” Jeff how to run his new discbine, check on what John and Mark might be building, relax with one of Kate’s 18 cats on her lap and earn money as a rainmaker. She truly enjoyed visiting with everyone no matter whose house she was at and everyone loved having her come. She had an uncanny ability to add “one-liners” that would bring laughter to the room and a story to be repeated many times over. Esther’s company truly blessed everyone.
In November of 2021, Esther moved to Edgewood Suites Assisted Living Center in Brookings. In June of 2022, an unfortunate injury forced her transfer to the United Living Community in Brookings. Everyone enjoyed her sweet personality and friendliness. The family is sincerely blessed to have such wonderful care and compassion extended to Esther during her stay at both facilities.
Esther is survived by five children, Sheila (Myron) Brandner of San Tan Valley, Arizona, Paul (Jeanne) Weisbeck of Herreid, SD, Bob (Karen) Weisbeck of Brookings, SD, Mark Jr. (Lisa) Weisbeck of Herreid, SD, and Suzanne (Jeff) Hamilton of Wessington, SD; 13 grandchildren, Ashley Brandner, Amber (Adrien) Signorello, Korey Lapp, Andee (Jalanni) James, Abby (Jacob – fiancé), Regan and Riley Weisbeck, Stevie (Allan) Weisbeck Pequeno, Jesse (Allison) and Joshua Weisbeck, John (Nikiah), Mark and Kate Hamilton; six great-grandchildren, Devan and Pedro Pequeno, Flora Signorello, Jade and Livy Weisbeck, and Dayne Hamilton; brother, Harvey and seven sisters, Adeline, Isabel, Roselyn, Marcella, Lucille, Cindy and Delrae and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents., Balser and Cecelia Mattern, her husband, Mark, and her brother, Myron.