Funeral services for Esther will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in State Center. Visitation will be prior to the service time from 9:45 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. Burial will follow the service at Hillside Cemetery in State Center. For more information or to send a condolence, please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Esther and her family.

Esther Bergman was born on January 28, 1914, to Henry and Mary (Schmidt) Bergman on their farm west of Forest City, Iowa. When she was sixteen she moved to State Center to live with her aunt and uncle, William and Caroline Riemenschneider. In addition to keeping house for them, Esther spent time quilting and making comforters for her hope chest. On January 28, 1937, she was married to Ralph (Snook) Riese. They farmed the home place near Colo until Ralph’s death in 1967. Esther always enjoyed cooking. She was known for preparing feasts at hay and straw bailing time. She spent time tending her flowers both at home and church, doing yard work and quilting. She was a long time member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in rural State Center and the Ladies’ Aid. In 1969, Esther married John (Ed) Eller. They lived in Roland, Iowa and then moved to Colo, Iowa, he died in 2001.

Esther is survived by her son Duane (Shorty) and his wife, Claudia, of Colo; two granddaughters, Jacquelyn (Ed) Vaske and Jaime (Ryan) Gjerde, all of Ankeny, and six great grandchildren: Emily, Adam and Nick Vaske and Connor, Riese and Cale Gjerde.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband’s Ralph and Ed; her sisters Martha Riggle, Louise Meyer, Ethel Homes, Florence Knapper and Marie Kingsbury; her brothers Walter (Pat) Bergman and Melvin (Mike) Bergman and several nieces and nephews.