Kenneth Elling Esterby
courtesy photo
Ken Esterby
CHARLO — Ken took his last ride on March 13, 2017.
He was born on June 28, 1934, in Straubville, North Dakota, to W.W. and Adeline Esterby. He wasthe second of five children joining the family after his sister Francis, and before his sister Arlene, brother Walt and sister Grace.
When he was two years, the family moved to Charlo. When he decided he had had enough with learning at school, he moved to Helmville, Montana, and worked various jobs on ranches, “rodeoed” and raised a little hell with his lifelong friend Glen Mininger. It was while he was working in Helmville that he met his loving wife to be, Edna. On July 8, 1956, the couple married and had 60 years, or as he would say “60 plus five or six years” to love, laugh and live life together. After they were married, Ken joined the Army where he served for two years. Ken and Edna welcomed their first little girl, Judy, into the world.
After being discharged from the Army, they moved to Osborne, Idaho, where Ken worked in the Sunshine Mine. While in Idaho, they welcomed their second daughter, Joyce, and their son, Richard. Not long after, Ken and Edna moved back to the hill in Charlo, where Ken would take over the ranch and continue his rodeo dreams. He was quite the roper, and won many buckles and a few bucks as well. It is on this hill that they built their life together.
Through the rodeo road and life travels, Ken met many people whom he cherished and called great friends. There isn’t a place he would go that he wouldn’t know someone. There wasn’t much he didn’t know about how to run a ranch, and if you tried to tell him how to do something, you for sure wouldn’t be leaving without him having the last word.
Ken had many pride and joys, but his wife, Edna, was his happiest joy in his life. If you knew him at all you’d know that his three grandchildren, Rebecca, Rhondell, Royelle, were some of the most special people in his life. And then came the great-grandchildren, Payton, Keeley, Cooper, Easton and Bryce. He was boastful and filled with so much pride whenever they would come up in conversation. He always made sure he would have a cleared knee for them to sit on and a sucker in his pocket.
Ken’s parents, Wendell and Adeline Esterby; his two sisters, Francis and Arlene, and his daughter, Judy, preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife, Edna; his brother, Walt Esterby; his sister, Grace Hiatt, his daughter, Joyce Esterby, his son, Richard Esterby (RaeCille); his granddaughters, Rebecca Stipe (Charlie), Rhondell Volinkaty (Josh), and Royelle Esterby. Ken wasn’t fond of the idea of his own funeral, so instead there will be a party in his honor on Thursday, March 16, at 4 p.m. at the Charlo Senior Citizens Center.
Memories and condolences may be sent to the family at: www.shriderthompson.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Shrider – Thompson Funeral Home.
