Esther Roth

Esther Roth

Esther Roth, long time Englewood resident, passed away February 13, 2016 at the age of 93.  She was born August 27, 1922, on the family homestead in Kendrick, Colorado. She was the 10th of 13 children born to William and Katy Meyer who were part of the group sometimes known as Volga Germans, who immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900's.  The family left Kendrick in the early 1930's, moving first to Rocky Ford and later to the Greeley area where she attended high school and then the Colorado State College of Education (later named UNC.) Beginning in 1943, she taught school at Kuner, Colorado and in 1945 at Ault, Colorado.  In 1946, she married Emanuel Roth of Eaton, Colorado, soon after his return from serving in the Navy during WWII.  They lived in the Greeley area before trying their hand at ranching in Keota, Colorado.  After the birth of their son Donald in 1948, they moved to Kansas City where Emanuel attended vocational school.  They returned to Colorado, eventually moving to Denver, where their daughter Denise was born in 1951.  They moved to Englewood in 1952.

In addition to her housewife duties, Esther worked as a reading tutor during the 1950's and 1960's, and as a teacher's aide at Maddox Elementary and Sinclair Middle schools from 1969 to 1983.  

She loved music, singing both as a soloist and in several choirs throughout her life.  She was active at Grace Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday school and sang in the choir.  In 1995, she joined the First Presbyterian Church of Englewood.  

She regularly attended water exercise classes at the Englewood Recreation Center in the 1980's and continued there until 2006, when she began attending arthritis water exercise classes at the Buck Recreation Center in Littleton until 2014.  Friendships were very important and she acquired a large social circle in the Englewood community.  

She was preceded in death by her husband Emanuel (1991,) her parents and 11 brothers and sisters.  She is survived my one brother, Ed Meyer of Greeley, daughter Denise Wehrer, son Donald (Diana) Roth, all of Englewood; one granddaughter Shelley (Les McMullen) of Denver, two great-grandchildren, Andria and Ramin McMullen.  She valued her family connections and kept in touch with many of her cousins, nieces and nephews (she had 43!) as well as numerous close friends. Esther will be dearly missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Englewood or the Transverse Myelitis Association.