Esther Viola Bemis

Funeral services for Esther Bemis, age 70, of Milaca, will be held Friday, March 11, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Milaca Alliance Church with Rev. Don Smith officiating. Visitation will be held Thursday, March 10, 2011 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the church and also one hour prior to services. Casketbearers will include her grandsons, Nick Denny, Nathan Denny, Tyler Bemis, Logan Bemis, Austin Fradette, and Carter Brown. Honorary casketbearers will include her granddaughters, Jackie Johnson, Jennie Burroughs, Janelle Packard, Emma Fradette, and Abbey Fradette. Interment will take place at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Milaca. Esther Viola Bemis was born September 30, 1940 to Hugo and Hortense (Orr) Dahlstrom in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. She grew up in Milaca and graduated from Milaca High School. She was united in marriage to Jim Bemis April 19, 1958 at her parent’s home in Milaca. She worked at the Milaca schools for 24 years in the food service department. Esther enjoyed cooking and baking. She went to coffee at 9:30 a.m. daily with friends, whom she loved. She enjoyed traveling to see family, hosting family get-togethers, and also spending time with her children and going to her grandchildren’s activities. Esther passed away Sunday, March 06, 2011 at the Saint Cloud Hospital. She is survived by husband, Jim of Milaca; children, Barbara (Brian) Packard of Milaca, Brenda (Rick) Denny of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Donald (Pam) Bemis of Milaca, and Katie (Jesse) Brown of Plano, Texas; eleven grandchildren, Jackie (Jarod) Johnson, Jennie (Jim) Burroughs, Janelle Packard, Nick Denny, Nathan Denny, Tyler Bemis, Logan Bemis, Emma Fradette, Abbey Fradette, Austin Fradette, and Carter Brown; six great-grandchildren, Tobey Johnson, Ethan Johnson, Ben Johnson, Lincoln Burroughs, Kennedy Burroughs, and Jackson Burroughs; the seventh great-grandchild-to-be in April; sisters, Catherine (Mark) Sederquist of Bagley, MN and Nancy (Jerry) Swanson of Merrifield, MN; nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents.