PIERRE, SD – Esther (Kiel) Sayler,91, passed away peacefully April 15, 2025 at Avantara Nursing Home, Pierre, SD. A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Friday, May 30th at the First United Methodist Church with burial at Riverside Cemetery.

Esther was born and raised in Highmore, SD to Herman and Iola (Lawrence) Kiel. Esther attended 12 years of school in Highmore, always busy with various school projects, playing the piano at events, and singing in the school choir in her beautiful coloratura soprano voice.

Esther began playing the clarinet in the school band during the fifth grade. Even as a young girl, she loved singing and would frequently just start singing when the mood hit. Her brothers used to comment that when she would sing in the backyard, she scared the chickens with her robust high voice. She was frequently asked to sing solos and to provide piano accompaniment for other students. She loved music and being able to assist and perform in any way she could.

After high school graduation in May of 1951, Esther attended Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU) in Mitchell, SD. She earned a degree in Education. During this time, she continued to play clarinet in the band and study music. She was in a DWU Choir that would perform around the state.

After graduating from DWU Esther taught the 2nd grade in Miller, SD for two years where she was also a Brownie Scout Leader. On June 17, 1955 she married Eldon James Sayler at the Highmore Methodist Church. The ceremony was officiated by her two uncles. They moved to the Sayler family farm outside of Harrold, SD. To this union they were blessed with one son (Kent) and two daughters (Connie and Debbie). In Harrold she taught elementary grades from 1955 to 1960. Their son, Kent, and daughter, Connie, were born while residing in Harrold.

In the fall of 1961, they moved to Pierre where Esther was a teacher’s aide in a country school and substituted in the Pierre grade schools. In 1963 they bought their first home in Pierre where 3rd child Debbie was born. During their time in Pierre, Esther led both a Cub Scout troop and 4-H Group as well as teaching a pre-school Sunday School class and served as chairperson of Circle for the United Methodist Church. While residing in Pierre Esther held jobs as a bookkeeper at Husky Gas Station and then Alamo Excavating. Eldon and Esther purchased a laundromat, Sayler’s King Koin Laundry, around 1981 and she kept the books and did the dry cleaning until they sold the business.

They lived in Pierre until 1984, where Eldon worked for Western Airlines beginning in 1968 until Western merged with Delta Airlines in 1984. With this merger Eldon and Esther were forced to move to Sioux Falls. Eldon’s job with Western and Delta Airlines provided opportunity for travel benefits for their family. Eldon and Esther would take excursions to Mexico City, Honolulu, and many other exciting destinations. The family enjoyed frequent trips to California to visit Esther’s parents and several trips to Hawaii.

After moving to Sioux Falls, Esther attended Augustana from 1985-86 to continue her studies in Education. She worked at several Sioux Falls schools through the years, ultimately landing a position at the State Penitentiary with the Parole Board, where she worked part time for 7.5 years. She really enjoyed her time with the Parole Board. She was a member of the New Horizons Band playing the clarinet and traveling around the Sioux Falls area to perform for various entities including nursing homes.

Prior to dementia Esther was very active. She loved to ride bikes, swim, garden, can, crochet, paint ceramics, bake and cook. She baked and decorated her daughter Deb’s wedding cake! When she was in her late 60’s she thought that she would like to try to water ski for the first time…. she gave it 3 tries….it didn’t go so well, but she gave it the ole’ Esther try!

Eldon passed away in August, 2012 and Esther continued to live in their Sioux Falls home until 2017, at which point the upkeep of the home became burdensome. She had been diagnosed with early stages of dementia and as this progressed, it was apparent that the best care for her would be moving to an assisted living facility – Parkwood in Pierre. As time moved on, the dementia continued to progress to the point where Esther’s final residence was at Avantara Nursing Home in Pierre.

Esther is survived by her son, Kent Sayler, San Diego, California; daughters, Connie (Dennis) Edwards, Sioux Falls; and Debbie (Rick) LaBrie, Pierre. Also grateful for sharing her life are eight grandchildren, Jessica (Brandon) Soderberg, Jacqueline and Joshua Sayler; Brady (Brooke) Edwards, Shannon Edwards and Alexis (Michael) Koloski; Amber (Sam) Shaw and Jordan (Maari) LaBrie; and twelve great-grandchildren, Isabella, Adriana, and Olivia Edwards; Keller, Kirby, and Matti Shaw; Kingston and Jackson Soderberg; Lennox Edwards; Baylor and Noah LaBrie; and Ivy Koloski. Esther is survived by a younger sister, Joy Yunker, Inwood Iowa.

She was preceded in death by her parents Herman and Iola; brothers Wesley and Larry; brother-in-law Don Yunker; sister-in-law Bernice Kiel.

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