Erwin E. Hiesterman

Erwin Hiesterman, 91, died Thursday, June 12, 2008, at the Clay County Medical Center, Clay Center, Kansas. A funeral service was held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 16, 2008, at the Zion Lutheran Church, Linn. Pastor David Gruoner officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were Jordan Hiesterman, Daniel Hiesterman, Luke Hiesterman, Jeremy Olson, Kevin Clark, Jace Allen, Stanton Uffman and Michael Peters. Honorary pallbearers were Shawn Reynolds and John Meier. The Lord blessed Dietrich Hiesterman and his wife Sophie ( Bott) Hiesterman of rural Palmer, Kansas, on September 9, 1916 with the gift of a son whom they named Erwin Ernst William Hiesterman. The gracious Triune God created within him saving faith in Jesus Christ and received him into membership in His redeemed family through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism on September 12, 1916 by the Rev. J.G.B. Keller of St. John Lutheran Church, Palmer, Kansas. Erwin attended St. John Lutheran School, Palmer. He confirmed his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in the rite of confirmation on March 20, 1932 at St. John Lutheran Church, Palmer under the Rev. J.G.B. Keller. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force during WWII in the European Theater outside London, England from 1941-1946. Erwin was united in marriage to Elsie Burger on November 7, 1946 at Zion Lutheran Church, rural Clay Center, by the Rev C.A. Lohifz. The couple was blessed with five sons: John, Ernest, Dee, Joel and Philip. The family lived two miles north and ¼ west of Linn. He was a lifelong farmer/stockman, never really retiring but always interested in cattle. Erwin and Elsie loved traveling and wintered in Florida, later in Texas. They are members of Zion Lutheran Church, Linn, where Erwin served the church over the years as an Elder, Zion School Board member, Head Usher and represented Zion on the Linn Community Nursing Home Board. He was a member of the Men’s Club and of the Lutheran Laymen’s League. He was preceded in death by his parents, infant brother Oscar, sister Ida Uffman in 1970 and brother Arnold in 2003. Erwin is survived by his wife Elsie, his five sons, John and wife Ramona and Ernest and wife Cindy all of Washington, Kansas, Dee and wife Kollette of Milford, KS, Rev, Joel of Phillipsburg, KS and Philip and wife Vickie of Linn, KS; 10 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren, his sister Mildred Peters and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials will be to The Lutheran Hour Ministries or Zion Lutheran Church School Endowment Fund. Ward Funeral Home, Linn is handling the arrangements To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Erwin E. Hiesterman, please visit our flower store.