Esther Haupt, 89, of Ackley, Iowa, passed away Sunday, October 6, 2013, at Valley View Nursing Home, Eldora, Iowa. Private family services and burial for Esther Haupt were held at the Linn's Funeral Home of Iowa Falls and at the Pleasant Hill Grant Township Cemetery, Franklin County, Iowa.

Esther Lucille Thies was born April 16, 1924, at her parent's home in Grant Township of Franklin County, Iowa, the daughter of Taldine [Stoehr] and Fred Thies. She attended grade school in the Beaver Valley School. She graduated from Ackley High School with the class of 1940 and Ellsworth Junior College with the class of 1942, receiving her Teaching Certificate. Esther taught school for one year at a school near Ackley, two years in a school east of Bradford, Iowa and from1945 to 1948 she taught in Sheffield, Iowa. She loved teaching children.

She was baptized in June of 1924, at the Grant Center Lutheran Church where her parents were members. In 1938 she was confirmed at the St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church in Ackley and has been a member there ever since. On September 26, 1948, Esther was united in marriage to Clarence Donald Haupt at St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church. They moved to the Albert Roske farm; who started Clarence farming in 1947. In 1948 Albert and Minnie moved to Iowa Falls and Clarence and Esther moved to their farm home. In 1959 they bought their current farm near Dumont, Iowa and moved to the farm in 1961, where they have since lived. Five children were born to this union: Connie, Robert, Wanda, Patricia, and Lois. Esther had worked on the farm for her parents and after her children were in school she helped Clarence with the livestock, especially helping milk 60 cows. They also raised chickens, hogs, and fat cattle.

Esther Haupt is survived by her children: Connie [the late Rick] Guiles of Union, Iowa, Robert [Jackie] Haupt of South Dakota, Wanda [Oscar] Fewins of Mason City, Iowa, Patricia [Dallas] Hofmeister of Geneva, Iowa, and Lois [Dennis] Mairs of Eldora, Iowa; 13 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren; a brother: Franklin [Malinda] Thies of Iowa Falls;; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband: Clarence Haupt; her son-in-law: Rick Guiles; her parents: Fred and Taldine Thies; a brother: Frederick Thies; and a sister: Dorothy Hofmeister.