Hanover, N.H. —
Known affectionately to her family as “Essie,” Esther grew up in Marion, Ohio. Her parents, Miles and Genevra Rice, had seven additional children: Ruth, David, Jim, Phil, Rachel, as well as Mary and Helen, both of whom still survive her.
Esther was born on Sept. 3, 1924, the same year that Stewart’s root beer—her favorite—was established. As a child during the Depression, times were tough early in Esther’s life, but these circumstances only cultivated perseverance and pluck that served her well throughout the course of her life.
After graduating from high school, Esther took a job as a teller at a local bank. But not long after that, her life changed one night when she attended a dance and locked eyes with a man across the room. He approached her and introduced himself as Carl. Overcome with shyness, Esther declined his offer for a dance, but at the encouragement of her friends, Esther reconsidered.
Esther and Carl fell in love and married in 1949. The couple remained in Marion, Ohio and had four children—John, Terry, Susan and Timothy—who remember Esther as a kind mother with a creative touch. Wanting her children in landlocked Ohio to experience the ocean, she hung a plastic sheet on the clothesline, so that when the wind blew, it sounded just like waves lapping against the shore. Esther and Carl loved to travel back roads together and celebrated 55 years of marriage together at the time of Carl’s death in 2004.
Throughout her life, Esther was an avid reader, and she passed her love for books on to her children. She read the newspaper every day with such diligence that she often joked that she was going to cancel her subscription because she never got anything done. Esther was equally fond of writing and penned plenty of letters to family, friends and even celebrities, once garnering a response from Truman Capote, who told her he was pleased she understood his story, “The Headless Hawk.”
Known for her witty one-liners, Esther’s dry and rich sense of humor always provoked a laugh. She was fond of bargains and decorating her home, especially during the holidays. An avid gardener, one of Esther’s favorite expressions was, “One is nearer to God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on Earth.” She loved to grow strawberries and consumed plenty of strawberry rhubarb pie.
Esther and her family were featured in the documentary, “Shot in the Dark,” a film produced by her grandson Adrian Grenier. She enjoyed being on film and attended premieres in Hollywood and New York City.
Esther relocated to the Upper Valley in 2015 following her husband’s death and settled in Quail Hollow at the Ridge. She became a reader of “Yankee” magazine and enjoyed the occasional road trip. She was especially fond of The Restaurant at Burdick’s in Walpole, N.H., known to Esther as “Ken’s restaurant.”
A lover of nature and environmentalist until the end, Esther often sent her son-in-law Jake home from hospital visits with her recycling to make sure it was taken care of properly.
Esther had a sweet disposition and a great vitality for life. Though she was shy, she was endeared by those who knew her and those who cared for her at the end of her life.
Esther is survived by her four children: Terry Fredrickson of Warwick, N.Y., Susan Dunbar Blum and husband Jake of Hanover, N.H., John Dunbar and his wife Debbie of Dunedin, Fla., and Tim Dunbar and wife Sandy of Albuquerque, N.M. Esther was predeceased by her husband and son-in-law Jeff Fredrickson.
Esther was also blessed with grandchildren: Joseph Blum of Brooklyn, N.Y., Jackson Blum of San Francisco, Calif., Sarah Blum of Wilder, Vt., Katrina Blum of Tacoma, Wash., Alex Fredrickson and wife Becky of Tel Aviv, Israel, Maggie Fredrickson of Brooklyn N.Y., Max and Trevor Dunbar of Albuquerque, N.M., Adrian Grenier of Brooklyn, N.Y., Annie and Kelli Dunbar of Dunedin, Fla.; and great-grandchildren Silas Hermens and Mia Currier of Wilder, Vt.
A celebration of Esther’s life will be held at a later date in Marion, Ohio, where she will be buried next to her husband Carl. The family wishes to thank the many people who cared for Essie in her final days.