Esther Unruh of Motley, Minnesota

Esther Unruh, 89, of Motley, MN, and formerly of Jamestown, ND, and Colorado Springs, CO, died Sunday, February 19, 2017, at Centracare Hospital in St. Cloud, MN. Esther incurred a traumatic brain injury in a fall the day prior and never recovered.

Esther was born December 6, 1927, in Gackle, ND, to Lydia Dockter and John Veil. She grew up on her family’s farm in Gackle and then went into the nursing field.

She met her husband, Robert, when he returned to North Dakota after serving in the Korean War. Esther was a housewife, active in her church, and a champion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She was involved with Special Olympics, The Arc, and numerous other disability organizations in Jamestown and in Colorado Springs.

She was a former member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and Atonement Lutheran Church in Jamestown and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Robert Unruh; son, Mark (Cynthia) Unruh of Motley, MN; daughter, Marsha (McNeil) Unruh of Colorado Springs, CO; daughter, Marla (Timothy) Smith of Rockford, IL; son, Marty Unruh of Colorado Springs, CO; six grandchildren and six great grandchildren; sisters Lenora Labrenz, Bertha Labrenz, Magdalena Klundt, Violet Fischer, and Ilene Albin; and brothers Eugene Veil and Henry Veil.

Esther is preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Olga Fischer.

A celebration of her life will be held at 1:00 PM Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at the Haut Funeral Home in Jamestown, ND.

Visitation 9-1 Wednesday at the Funeral Home.

Burial will take place in the spring at the Gackle Cemetery, Gackle, ND

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting memorial donations be made to the Special Olympics North Dakota, 2616 South 26th Street, Grand Forks, ND 58201, http://www.specialolympicsnorthdakota.org/home/.