Esther May (Shankle) Hermes

Esther May (Shankle) Hermes

Esther May (Shankle) Hermes, 86, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011, at Sweet Nursing Home in Chinook due to natural causes.

Funeral Mass services will be Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, at 2 p.m., in St. Gabriel's Catholic Church in Chinook, with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery.

Vigil and rosary will be recited on Friday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. at St. Gabriel's Catholic Church. Memorials may be sent to the Chinook Senior Center, St. Gabriel's Catholic Church or to the charity of donor's choice. Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.

Esther was born to Thomas and Mamie (Dyrchorn) Shankle on Aug. 20, 1924, in Chinook. She received most of her grade school education at the Hydro Country School north of Chinook and graduated from Chinook High School. She tells about going to country school on horseback, by team and buggy or covered sleigh.

Esther married Howard Hermes on June 9, 1943, and four daughters were born to this union. They farmed and ranched for 30 years. During this time she also worked in the Appraisal and Reclassification Office at the Blaine County Courthouse for seven years.

They later moved to Chinook and owned Northern Implement, where she was the bookkeeper for 10 years. She was a 4-H leader for nine years. Many of her members won honors and trips to competitions in several states. After their retirement, they traveled a great deal, including a trip to Vancouver Island, Canada, and to Alaska for their 50th wedding anniversary. They spent the winters in the south.

In her spare time, Esther joined craft classes and learned beading and basketry. Esther later taught these crafts as well as tatting in some of the resorts they lived in. One of her prized possessions was a tatted table cloth which was a three-year accomplishment. She also made several tatted doilies.

Her pine needle baskets were a big hit in Arizona and were displayed in several resorts and also in the local library.

Esther was a member of St. Gabriel's Catholic Church and the Chinook Senior Center. She spent many afternoons at the center playing six-handed pinochle, bingo and many other games. She would never turn down a chance to play a good game of pinochle and spent most holidays with her family playing it all day long. She liked to travel and took two trips to Hawaii.

Esther is survived by four daughters, Marilyn (Curt) Hall of Lawrence, Kan., Margie (Jack) Miller and Sandi (Dave Berg) Finley of Chinook, Linda (Swede) Malley of Havre; 12 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; one brother, Don (Joy) Shankle of Salem, Ore.; one niece and nephew. She was preceded in death by her parents, Tom and Mamie Shankle, husband, Howard, in 1999; and sister-in-law Dorothy Shankle.

Esther May (Shankle) Hermes, 86, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011, at Sweet Nursing Home in Chinook due to natural causes.

Funeral Mass services will be Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, at 2 p.m., in St. Gabriel's Catholic Church in Chinook, with burial following in Kuper Memorial Cemetery.

Vigil and rosary will be recited on Friday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. at St. Gabriel's Catholic Church. Memorials may be sent to the Chinook Senior Center, St. Gabriel's Catholic Church or to the charity of donor's choice. Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.

Esther was born to Thomas and Mamie (Dyrchorn) Shankle on Aug. 20, 1924, in Chinook. She received most of her grade school education at the Hydro Country School north of Chinook and graduated from Chinook High School. She tells about going to country school on horseback, by team and buggy or covered sleigh.

Esther married Howard Hermes on June 9, 1943, and four daughters were born to this union. They farmed and ranched for 30 years. During this time she also worked in the Appraisal and Reclassification Office at the Blaine County Courthouse for seven years.

They later moved to Chinook and owned Northern Implement, where she was the bookkeeper for 10 years. She was a 4-H leader for nine years. Many of her members won honors and trips to competitions in several states. After their retirement, they traveled a great deal, including a trip to Vancouver Island, Canada, and to Alaska for their 50th wedding anniversary. They spent the winters in the south.

In her spare time, Esther joined craft classes and learned beading and basketry. Esther later taught these crafts as well as tatting in some of the resorts they lived in. One of her prized possessions was a tatted table cloth which was a three-year accomplishment. She also made several tatted doilies.

Her pine needle baskets were a big hit in Arizona and were displayed in several resorts and also in the local library.

Esther was a member of St. Gabriel's Catholic Church and the Chinook Senior Center. She spent many afternoons at the center playing six-handed pinochle, bingo and many other games. She would never turn down a chance to play a good game of pinochle and spent most holidays with her family playing it all day long. She liked to travel and took two trips to Hawaii.

Esther is survived by four daughters, Marilyn (Curt) Hall of Lawrence, Kan., Margie (Jack) Miller and Sandi (Dave Berg) Finley of Chinook, Linda (Swede) Malley of Havre; 12 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; one brother, Don (Joy) Shankle of Salem, Ore.; one niece and nephew. She was preceded in death by her parents, Tom and Mamie Shankle, husband, Howard, in 1999; and sister-in-law Dorothy Shankle.