White Funeral Home
1315 Main Street
Jesup, Iowa 50648

Dunkerton – Esther L. Kajewski, 94, of Dunkerton, IA, died Friday, July 2, 2021, at Hillcrest Living in Sumner, IA.

Esther L. (Meier) Kajewski was born in Waterloo, IA to Henry and Rose (Risse) Meier on March 18, 1927.  She attended Barclay Township School and graduated from Dunkerton High School in 1944.  After completing a program at Gates Business School, she worked as a secretary at Rath Packing Company.  She married Bernard J. Kajewski on November 20, 1947 and celebrated their golden anniversary before he died in 1998.  They farmed near Dunkerton on the same farmstead where she grew up.  Raising six children and assisting with farming took a lot of time, but Esther always had time to sew or make special treats for others.

When she and Bernard retired to Waterloo, she had more time to volunteer with the Covenant Hospital Auxiliary (now Mercy One).  She sewed countless cloth diapers to be sent to the missions, children’s surgery caps, and crocheted nearly 2,000 hats for Covenant newborns.  Esther loved spending time with family and friends, growing flowers, and playing cards.  She was active in both Catholic Daughters at St. Edward’s Catholic Church and the Serra Club to encourage vocations.

Esther is survived by her children Gloria (Carl) Campbell of Waverly; Tony (Marilee) of Dunkerton; Bill (Marty) of Oelwein; Bob (Teresa) of Dunkerton; Kathy (Brad) Bachman of Fairbank; and son-in-law H. Joe Harter of Pleasant Hill.  Her 19 grandchildren include Amy Campbell-Lamb, Wendy Morris and Kevan Campbell; Matt Kajewski, Kristi Ritchie, Tory Thompson and Kelly Barnes; Angie Spannagel, Kim Kerns and Greg Kajewski; Nicole Geerts, Brian Kajewski, Jenna Platte and Laura Beck; Amanda Tollari and Cory Harter; Abby, Adam, and Ben Bachman.  She has 29 great grandchildren with another on the way.  Her remaining sister is Berniece Heuer of Cedar Falls plus in-laws Marjorie Kajewski, Joe Sikora, Mary and Bruce Carruthers, and Pat Stoller…plus spouses of grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Esther was preceded in death by her parents, husband, daughter, Karen Harter and two sisters, Paulina Weber and Leona Schares.  Special thanks to the staff of Hillcrest Living in Sumner and Cedar Valley Hospice for her care until she died on July 2.

Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 7, 2021, at St. Francis Catholic Church, rural Dunkerton, IA, with burial in the church cemetery.  Visitation will be from 3:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 6^th at the White Funeral Home, Jesup, IA, where there will be a Parish Rosary at 4:00 p.m.  Visitation will continue for an hour before services Wednesday at the church.  Memorials will be directed to charity.

White Funeral Home, Jesup, IA, in charge of the arrangements.