Esther Marie Strode

Born to Rose and George Kramer in Eden Valley, Minnesota on July 1, 1924, Esther Marie (Schaus) Strode graced this world with an indomitable spirit for more than 96 years, before passing away on May 11, 2021. As a young woman, Esther moved to Las Vegas, Nevada during the early years of the Second World War. It was there that she would meet and fall in love with a young lieutenant, Richard Maxwell Schaus. On July 27, 1943, the two of them married and moved to Colorado where they raised four children in the foothills outside of Denver. Whether it was relaxing on the deck of a houseboat on Lake Powell, sipping a cocktail with her collar upturned after 18 holes of golf, or ruthlessly competing (and usually winning) at bridge, Esther always radiated the same sense of style, fashion and self-confidence that had caught the eye of that young lieutenant in Las Vegas so many years ago. Esther was preceded in death by her husband Richard, her son Richard Michael and her granddaughter Tonnie Genevieve Schaus. Survived by her sons Marc Ervin and Scott Curtis, her daughter Kathy Ellen, ten grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren, those who loved her will forever carry with them her unique sense of charm and wit. Her final resting place is with her husband’s remains at Fort Logan National Cemetery—but her spirit, her humor and her passion for the things that make this world worth enjoying will live on with those who were blessed enough to be part of her nearly 97 year long journey.