[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 98 (Thursday, June 15, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S8523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               100TH BIRTHDAY OF ESTHER EARNEST HEWICKER

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I was recently contacted by the 
O'Brien family in Iowa about a very special event that will happen on 
June 21. On that day, Esther Earnest Hewicker, of Remsen, IA, will 
celebrate her 100th birthday. Mrs. Hewicker has lived a long and 
vibrant life and I want to join with her family and her many friends in 
Iowa in wishing her my warmest birthday greetings on this very special 
day. During her lifetime, Iowa and our Nation have undergone many 
changes and endured many great challenges.
  Mr. President, in commemoration of this very special day and in 
tribute to Esther Hewicker, I ask that a letter to me from the O'Brien 
family reviewing her life be included in the Record at this point.
  The letter follows:

       Dear Senator Harkin: It is with great pride that we, the 
     O'Brien family, inform you of the one hundredth birthday of a 
     woman who has dedicated her life to the welfare of those 
     around her. Esther Earnest Hewicker, born June 21, 1895, near 
     Remsen, Iowa, was the youngest of eight surviving children. 
     At that time Esther's life was typical of the era. Her days 
     were spent going to school, doing chores, and often caring 
     for the children of her adult siblings. Esther lost her 
     father to a medical condition, ``consumption'', when she was 
     ten years old and as a result she, her mother, and remaining 
     underage siblings left the farm and moved into Remsen.
       Esther graduated from Remsen High School in 1913. After 
     working for one year as a seamstress and caring for various 
     nieces and nephews, Esther borrowed money from her mother to 
     enter the Normal School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she 
     earned a two-year degree in intermediate education. Esther 
     taught seventeen years in small towns in Northwestern Iowa; 
     two years each in Akron and Aurelia, and thirteen years in 
     Marcus.
       Esther began teaching in 1916 in Akron, Iowa, during World 
     War I. At that time, it was important for civilian citizens 
     to do what they could to support the war. Esther served 
     through the Red Cross, making bandages and rolling gauze. 
     Further, when teaching, Esther incorporated war effort 
     projects into appropriate school subjects. For instance, 
     during the teaching of hand work, Esther got yarn pieces from 
     the Red Cross and had her students knit squares that would 
     later be sent back to the Red Cross and sewn into lap 
     blankets.
       At the onset of her career, teachers earned approximately 
     $65.00 monthly for only nine months of the year. During 
     summers, holidays, and weekends Esther returned home and 
     assisted her mother with a house full of chores, for 
     everything in those days was done by hand and without 
     refrigeration. Food preservation, preparation and storage 
     were long-term projects involving gardening, butchering, 
     canning, and baking using a wood stove. Water was carried for 
     daily needs, drinking, bathing, cleaning, etc. General 
     housekeeping involved floor scrubbing, hardwood waxing, rug 
     beating, lamp trimming and window washing. Often the supplies 
     for doing such chores needed to be made. The soap used for 
     laundry and cleaning was made at home, usually in conjunction 
     with butchering. Further, more time had to be made when 
     specific attention needed to be paid to caring for the sick 
     or repairing broken items.
       In 1920, at the time Esther began teaching in Marcus, she 
     also took on the responsibility of singlehandedly caring for 
     her aging and ailing mother on a full-time basis. To 
     supplement their income and make ends meet. Esther also 
     ``kept roomers''. Esther maintained her full-time teaching 
     position and eventually became Junior High principal, which 
     in those days constituted an increase in responsibility as 
     her teaching duties continued. Esther continued to live 
     independently, maintaining her career, caring for her mother 
     and keeping roomers. Esther did this until 1934.
       At the age of 37\1/2\, Esther married Frank Hewicker, a 
     Remsen, Iowa farmer. Her mother was transferred to the care 
     of other siblings. Esther then began a new career, farming 
     with her husband, for in those days, farming could only 
     succeed if done as a partnership between husband and wife. 
     The volume of work and sheer labor required to complete 
     necessary tasks could not be done by one person alone. Esther 
     cared for twin lambs abandoned by their mothers, raised 
     ducks, geese and up to one thousand chickens each year. She 
     kept a huge garden and did all of the housework, laundry, 
     mending and cooking necessary for her family and the hired 
     help, all without the aid of electricity, running water or 
     refrigeration. The Hewickers began farming land south of 
     Remsen and after approximately twelve years purchased land 
     south of Marcus, where they stayed their entire married life. 
     Presently, with the help of dedicated renters, Esther 
     continues to oversee the farm.
       At the age of 45, prior to the couple's move to the new 
     land, Esther gave birth to a daughter, Ila Jean Hewicker. 
     Esther continued to run the farm with her husband, and raised 
     her family. At that time, Esther and her family were active 
     contributors to their church and community, both in a 
     physical and financial sense. Esther maintained a position on 
     the Marcus Fair Committee for twenty-five years and was part 
     of the decision-making process for the building of the Marcus 
     Theater, original community swimming pool, health clinic, and 
     countless other projects. Further, the couple found time to 
     frequent area nursing homes, where they provided the 
     residents with fresh produce and flowers. Esther and her 
     husband also made a point to tend to the sick, shut-in or 
     underprivileged within and outside their immediate families 
     whenever they could.
       Strong believers in education, there was never a doubt that 
     their daughter would go to college. Esther and Frank 
     supported and encouraged Ila through college and proudly 
     watched her earn her Bachelor's Degree in Education. Ila 
     eventually married and had a family of her own.
       It is important to note that Esther's dedication to 
     education did not stop with her career or her daughter's 
     completion of college. Esther was an active member of the 
     P.E.O. Club for many years and following Ila's high school 
     graduation, Esther was elected to the Marcus School Board. 
     Further, Esther and Frank created college funds for all four 
     of their grandchildren, adding substantial amounts of money 
     to each over the years. With that financial assistance, 
     Esther's two eldest grandchildren received Masters degrees, 
     one in Education, and one in Social Work. The third is 
     presently an undergraduate in an Art Education program and 
     the fourth will enter college in the Fall.
       Esther is presently a resident of Happy Siesta Nursing Home 
     in Remsen, Iowa, and has been for the past nine years. Esther 
     made this move independently and presently continues to 
     welcome new residents, helps ease their transition from home 
     to nursing home living and encourages them to participate in 
     the many activities available to them. Esther often receives 
     visitors from the area and enjoys keeping up with the news 
     and lives of life-long friends. Though her old students are 
     senior citizens now, she sees many who visit, and makes a 
     point to ask after those who cannot.
       Clearly, Esther Earnest Hewicker's contributions to society 
     have been vast throughout her long lifetime and still her 
     humor, character, and gregarious personality have yet to be 
     mentioned. It is with sincere pride that we ask that Esther's 
     contributions be recognized formally, as the benefits of her 
     life reaped by others are immeasurable.
       Thank you for your time.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Kathy O'Brien
                            and the entire O'Brien family.
     

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