Esther Echtenkamp Grebe, 103

Arlington native Esther Echtenkamp Grebe, 103, of Fremont, died Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2001, in the A. J. Merrick Manor in Fremont.

Funeral services were Saturday, Nov. 3, at First Lutheran Church in Fremont with the Revs. Mark Grorud and Norman Freund officiating. Interment was at Memorial Cemetery.

Esther Echtenkamp Grebe was born Dec. 12, 1897, to Fred and Lizzy (Hilgenkamp) Scheer on the farm near Arlington. She grew up on the farm.

On July 31, 1917, she was married to Leonard Echtenkamp in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of rural Arlington. They farmed in the Arlington area. Mr. Echtenkamp died in 1951.

On Aug. 6, 1955, she married John Grebe, and the couple made their home in Fremont. Mr. Grebe died in 1971.

Mrs. Grebe was a member of the First Lutheran Church in Fremont.

She is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Mrs. Elna Goracke of Fremont, and Loraine and Donald Sims of Ashland, two sons and daughters-in-law, Glen and Betty Echtenkamp of Omaha, and Earl and Elayne Echtenkamp of Fremont, 24 grandchildren, 70 great-grandchildren, seven great-great grandchildren, a sister and brother-in-law, Lily and Walter Krohn of Fremont, two step-daughters, Rena Klabunde of Fremont and Inez Barrett of Mead, and a sister-in-law, Selma Scheer of Arlington.

In addition to her husbands, she was preceded in death by a daughter, two grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, six brothers, and three sisters.

Memorials are suggested to First Lutheran Church.

Ludvigsen Mortuary in Fremont was in charge of arrangements.