Esther Noteboom

Esther Louise Frazier Noteboom On August 6th, 2015, at exactly ninety four and a half years of life, our beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great great grandmother, sister, and aunt passed away peacefully at Prosser Memorial Hospital after a brief and sudden illness. She was surrounded by her loving family as she entered into the arms of her Lord. Esther was born on February 6th, 1921, to John and Augusta (Bertschinger) Frazier in Mukilteo, Washington. A short time later, the family moved to Bellingham, Washington where Esther grew up and graduated from Bellingham High School in 1939. She was the sixth of seven children. Esther’s father was a minister who established mission churches while working as a carpenter and painter to support his family. Her mother took in boarders to supplement their income during the depression years. From childhood on, Esther learned the value of close family bonds, hard work, loyalty, dedication to others, and a great respect for nature. Esther first saw the love of her life at a high school track meet where Bob Noteboom was running in the high hurdles. They were introduced soon after and had their first date on July 4th, 1938, at Birch Bay, Washington. They were married four years later on April 25th, 1942, Bob’s birthday. Esther spent the next 37 years of her life with Bob on their small dairy farm in Lynden, Washington. On May 6, 1943, their first daughter Jerilyn Kay was born. Their second daughter, Sandra Gail, was born on February 10, 1945. A third daughter, Patricia Louise, was born on March 7, 1949. Each school morning Esther greeted her daughters with a smile and a ready snack when they came home. She was also an excellent cook, seamstress, house keeper, and gardener. In fact, there wasn’t a flower she couldn’t grow. She was an expert at packing picnic lunches and planning wiener roasts. The family spent many happy times together at Birch Bay, Mount Baker, Silver Lake and the Washington coast. On June 27, 1967, Esther and Bob were thrilled to become grandparents for the first time when their twin grandsons, Doug and David Van Wagoner were born. This was followed by the birth of their 3rd grandson, Jeff Van Dyk, on January 7, 1969. Many years of caring for grandsons and baking special birthday cakes followed. When her beloved Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Esther devoted her time to ensuring that he had the best quality of life possible. Her strength, energy, and love for him showed her family a model of selfless love. During this time, Esther and Bob moved to Bellingham where she remained after Bob’s death until 2006. Esther’s fourth grandchild, Christopher Newhouse, was born on October 11, 1991. From the beginning, Esther and Chris had a special bond. When Esther moved to Sunnyside, Washington in 2006, that bond became even stronger. They spent many happy hours together and she was always his “number one girl”. Esther was fortunate to live long enough to become both a great grandmother and a great great grandmother. She loved meeting these new generations, seeing their pictures, and being updated on their activities. One of her favorite questions in recent years was, “What have you heard about the baby?” Esther spent the last eight years of her life at assisted living facilities. Here she met Ana Johnny who became like a “fourth” daughter and a part of Esther’s family. During her last year, Esther met Connie Borja who became her “angel aide” and also a part of her family. Esther loved them and appreciated all they did to make her last years better. Esther is survived by her three daughters, Jerilyn Van Dyk (Paul Gamble) of Tumwater, WA, Sandra (Richard) Van Wagoner of Auburn, WA and Patricia (David) Newhouse of Sunnyside, WA; grandchildren, Doug (Monica) Van Wagoner of Puyallup, WA; David (Mary) Van Wagoner of Tacoma, WA; Jeff Van Dyk of Olympia, WA, Christopher (Jessica) Newhouse of Sunnyside, WA; great grandchildren Tayler Van Wagoner (Steven Miller) of Puyallup, WA; Nicole Van Wagoner of Puyallup, WA; Justin, Kody, and Tanner Van Wagoner of Tacoma, WA; Grant and Austin Van Dyk of Olympia, WA; great great grandchildren Ryleigh & Harper Miller of Puyallup, WA; sister Mary Nero of Christchurch, New Zealand; brother Don Frazier of Renton, WA and numerous nieces, nephews and grandnieces and nephews. Esther was preceded in death by her parents, her husband; her brothers, Charles, Paul, Wallace and Howard, and her sisters-in-laws, Lois, Rose, and Marielyn Frazier, Bessie Vande Kamp, Jeanette Vander Mey, Ethel Van Weerdhuizen, and her brothers-in-law Cornelius Noteboom and Oscar E. Nero. Special thanks are given to her niece Joanne Barry, who helped with her last move and the manager and staff of Sheffield Manor in Prosser, WA who made sure she was well cared for her last days. Visitation will be held from 4-8 pm on Monday, August 10, 2015 at Valley Hills Funeral Home in Sunnyside, WA. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 at 1:30 pm at the Sunnyside Christian Reformed Church. Graveside services will be held on Thursday, August 13, 2015 at the Monumenta Cemetery in Lynden, WA. Condolences can be left for the family at www.valleyhillsfh.com. In Lieu of flowers memorials can be made to the Sunnyside Christian Reformed Church landscaping fund or a charity of your choice. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Esther Noteboom, please visit our flower store.