Esther Rose Secrest

Esther Rose Secrest

Esther Rose Secrest, age 98, a resident of Fort Scott, Kan., died Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, at the Fort Scott Medicalodge. She was born July 15, 1917, in Bourbon County, Kan., the daughter of Ralph A. Singmaster and Lottie Viola Query Singmaster. Esther graduated from Fort Scott High School and Fort Scott Junior College and then received her teaching degree from Pittsburg State University. She married Everett Secrest on Feb. 6, 1942, at Hollywood, Calif. Esther taught school in Bourbon County for six years. She and her husband later moved to Colorado where she taught in the Sheridan schools and later served as attendance officer and social worker for 17 years. Following her retirement in 1982, she moved back to the family farm southeast of Fort Scott. She was faithful member of the Diamond Community Church where she served as Sunday School superintendent and Sunday School teacher. She also served as church pianist when necessary. She was a member of the Bourbon County Retired Teachers and the Mo-Kan Jolly Circle Club. She also volunteered for the Beacon.

Survivors include two sons, Thomas Secrest and wife, Sue and Gerald Secrest and wife Karen, all of Littleton, Colo.; eight grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Everett Secrest; her daughter Dixie Secrest; two brothers, Ralph and Reece Singmaster and a sister, Dorothy Martens.

There was cremation. Rev. Jared Witt will conduct a Celebration of Life service at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will take place at a later date in the Littleton Cemetery, Littleton, Colo. Memorials are suggested to the Diamond Community Church or the Beacon and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.