Esther Kassmeier, 93, of Wayne, formerly of Howells, died Thursday, April 2, 2026 at the Franciscan Healthcare Center in West Point.
Memorials can be directed to the Kassmeier Family for later designation.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Wayne. Funeral Lunch will be served at 12 p.m. in the St. Mary's Social Hall and a visitation starting at 1 p.m. at the church. Interment will be at 4 p.m. at S.S. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Howells.
Svoboda Moravec Johnson Mortuary is handling arrangements for Esther's family.
Esther Irene was born on Jan. 19, 1933 on the family farm north of Creston to Joseph and Elisa (DeKeere) Fiala. She began her education at rural country schools in Colfax and Stanton county, ultimately graduating from Leigh High School with the class of 1950. On Sept. 12, 1953 she married Delbert Kassmeier and the couple made their home on a farm southwest of Dodge. While living on the farm, she helped Delbert with farm duties and raised their five children. After retiring from farming in 2012, the couple moved to Howells, where Esther resided until she moved to Wayne in 2021.
Esther loved sitting down and working on sewing projects whether fixing clothes or putting together a new quilt design, working out in her garden, making sure no weed was safe, and getting together to play a competitive round of bingo with friends. One of the standing traditions that she looked forward to every week was getting together with her Wednesday Burger Night group where she could catch up with everyone and their lives. She cherished every bit of being a grandma and loved spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and attending their events.
Survivors include her children: Debra (Mike) Kassmeier-Reed, Patti (Russ) Konwinski, Michael (Kay) Kassmeier, Susan (Vel) Temme, and Douglas Kassmeier, 8 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren, and her sisters: Lois Schneekloth and Edith (Bob) Callies as well as several nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Delbert in 2015, one infant child, 2 sisters, 1 brother, 3 brothers-in-law, 1 sister-in-law and nieces and nephews.
