Esther Hedges

Esther Lorraine Hedges, age 102, of Scranton passed away on Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at Greene County Long Term Care in Jefferson. Funeral service will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, July 11, 2015 at the First United Methodist Church in Scranton with Rev. Joyce Webb officiating. Visitation will be held at the church for one hour prior to the service. Organist for the service will be Karen Murphy and soloist will be Laura Minnihan. Casket bearers will be John Stanley, Andrew Carter, Randy Christensen, Matt Christensen, Stan Curtis, and Kent Curtis. Burial will be in the Scranton Township Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Scranton. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com Born on September 26, 1912, she was the daughter of Jesse Frederick and Estella Mae (Litsey) Lorentzen. Esther grew up in Greene County and attended country school as a girl and graduated from Scranton High School in 1931. She later married to Clyde Conant on February 14, 1939 and lived in rural Churdan. The couple moved to the Varina – Newell area where they lived on a farm and operated the local grain elevator. Clyde passed away in 1964. Esther later married Howard Hedges on September 12, 1970 and made her home on their farm near Scranton. Esther loved recipes, cooking, baking and entertaining. Her passion in her later years was making and collecting dolls, especially porcelain dolls, as well as crocheting afghans. Another thing she really loved was to travel. She and Howard traveled to 15 countries. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Scranton and held the position of Worthy Matron in Eastern Star. Esther is survived by her brother, Lyle Lorentzen of Montana, four step-sons; George (Thelma) Hedges of Scranton, John Hedges (Judy Hubbell) of San Francisco, CA, Carl Hedges (Carol) of Annapolis, MD, and Walter Hedges (Jean) of Appleton, WI; 10 grandchildren; 22 great grandchildren; 11 great-great grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. Esther was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands, brothers: Harold Lorentzen and John Lorentzen; sisters: Rhea Linn and Marie Helin; a step-sister Georgie McFarland Gebhart, and a great-granddaughter.