Esther Kroll

Esther Archer Kroll, 94, of Colfax, passed into the presence of her Savior Jesus Christ on April 2, 2020, at the Courtyard in Colfax. Esther was born July 17, 1925, at the family home near Penawawa, Wash., to John Archer, Sr. and Elsie Sanders Archer. She was the youngest of five children. The family later moved into Colfax. Esther attended the Hamilton School and graduated from Colfax High School in 1943.

After high school, Esther worked for the telephone company as an operator. She met her husband, Everett, on a double date. After Everett went into the Navy, they married on December 30, 1944, in Vallejo, Calif., and were married for 61 years until his death in 2006.

When Everett got out of the service, they moved to Lewiston, Idaho. Their daughter, Kathryn, was born in Colfax. They later moved to Moscow, Idaho, where their sons, Michael, James and Christopher were born. They moved back to the Colfax area in 1957, where she worked at the telephone company until it closed in the late 1960's. She then she worked for JC Penney until the store closed in the 1980's. After that, she did parts runs and errands for Kroll Machine & Supply. During her errands she would sometimes stop for pie and coffee at the Top Notch and enjoyed the fresh baked cookies on Fridays at Columbia Bank.

Esther really enjoyed interacting with people, whether at church, her years transferring telephone calls, helping people at JC Penney, being at the shop or as she walked "uptown". She also liked to read and do crossword puzzles. For many years she taught Sunday school and AWANA at Colfax First Baptist Church, where she was a member. Her relationships with her family members, friends and classmates were very important to her.

Esther and Everett enjoyed taking Sunday drives around the Palouse where they stopped at small cafes for lunch. Highlight trips were factory tours to John Deere and Caterpillar Tractor, a trip to eastern Kentucky where Kathryn studied midwifery, and especially a trip to Cameroon, West Africa, where Kathryn served as a missionary.

Esther was preceded in death by her husband, Everett, her daughter, Kathryn, her daughter-in-law, Susan, her parents, John and Elsie, and her four siblings, Mary Paulson, Wanda Pierce, Elsie Wallace and John Archer, Jr.

She is survived by Mike (Darlene) Kroll, Jim (Kathy) Kroll, of Colfax, and Chris Kroll of Yakima. She is also survived by six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. We have been blessed by God for Mom's presence in our lives.

Special thanks go to the staff at the Courtyard for the last year and to Kindred Hospice for their loving care of Mom.

A celebration of Esther's life will be scheduled at a later time. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Union Gospel Mission of Spokane, Colfax First Baptist Church, NAB Missions-Cameroon or a charity of your choice.

Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax, Wash., has been entrusted with arrangement. Online condolences may be sent to http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com