| Notes |
- Stratton Spotlight
May 27, 2003
Esther B. Beattie, longtime Stratton resident, passed away May 23, 2003, at the Lincoln Community Nursing Home in Hugo, CO after a short illness at the age of 94. Esther was born February 8, 1909 at Pimento, Indiana to Raymond W. and Hallie (McKinney) Davis, the second of four children. Her parents homesteaded at Regent, North Dakota, however, having a baby in this harsh environment did not seem prudent to the Davis', so Hallie returned to the home in Indiana to wait for Esther's arrival. After her birth, they returned to Regent and stayed for six years. By this time her parents had had enough of the North Dakota winters and moved to Epps, Alabama, where they spent four years. At the age of 10, Esther's family moved to a farm northeast of Stratton, CO. She attended Springwell Country school and became acquainted with her future husband, (Charles) Louis Beattie. She attended high school in Burlington, where she was a member of the girls basketball team and active in many school activities.
She graduated with the Burlington Class of 1928. In 1929 she received her teacher's certificate in Greeley from Colorado Teachers College, now known as the University of Northern Colorado. Esther taught in the Stratton area country schools of Springwell, Smelker and Sunnyside.
Esther and Louis Beattie were united in marriage on April 18, 1931 at Sharon Springs, Kansas. They began their married life farming northeast of Stratton. Six children were born to this union; Patricia, Norman, Delmar, Keith, Ivan and Gene. Her life was full of activities; wife, mother, farming and friends. Her teaching career ended in 1943 in order for her to spend full time with her family and help with the duties on the farm. She made sure that her boys went to school everyday in a freshly ironed shirt. All the family meals were prepared on a wood cookstove, three times a day and, of course, there were never any leftovers. Although money was short, Louis and Esther missed very few of the school activities in which the boys were involved in the 25 years of combined attendance.
They were seldom too busy to let you know about the latest accomplishments of their sons and grandchildren. Esther always had an extra soft spot in her heart for her daughter-in-laws. In later years she thoroughly enjoyed the time she spent with the ladies at the quilting guild and ladies club.
She will be greatly missed by her surviving family; a brother, Joe Davis of Sikeston, MO; and sons Norman and wife VI of Billings, MT; Delmar and wife Avril of Limon, CO; Keith and wife Margaret of Rocky Ford, CO; Ivan and wife Pat of Addison, Tx; and Gene and wife Beverly of Everette, WA; 12 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Pall bearers are her grandchildren, Boydd Beattie, Brian Beattie, Roger Beattie, Aaron Beattie, Sharon Downey and Hallie Beattie.
|
1909 - 2003 (94 years)
[1, 2] 
