Esther LeBlanc

Esther LeBlanc, 96 year old resident of Little Falls died Tuesday, January 29 at the Little Falls Care Center in Little Falls. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, February 4 at 10:30 A.M. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Little Falls. A visitation will be held on Sunday, February 3 from 3:00-6:00 P.M. at Emblom Brenny Funeral Service and from 9:00-10:00 A.M. on Monday at Emblom Brenny Funeral Service in Little Falls. The burial will be held at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls. The Christian Mothers will pray the rosary at 3:30 P.M. followed by parish prayers at 4:30 P.M. on Sunday at the funeral home.

Esther Hines LeBlanc was born at the family west side home, April 19, 1922, in Little Falls, Minnesota. She attended 8 years of elementary school at the former famous Antlers Hotel building. She graduated from Little Falls High School in 1940. Esther worked as office clerk for the federal Department of the Corps of Engineers, Camp Ripley, Little Falls, Minnesota. Later, she transferred with the Corps of Engineers to the airport in Fargo, North Dakota which included occasional trips to the Corps in Bismark, ND. She married Jerome Adelore LeBlanc on November 22, 1944, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Little Falls, Minnesota. Esther worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Saint Cloud, Minnesota, as a medical stenographer. After Jerome LeBlancs Honorable discharge from the Army Air Corps, Jerome and Esther lived in the city of Little Falls, Minnesota. Esther then worked as a desk clerk for the county recorder, in the Register of Deeds office at the Morrison County Courthouse, Little Falls, Minnesota. She did typing and microfilming of documents. She enjoyed dancing, playing cards, embroidering, cooking, baking, watching TV, listening to news on the radio, and traveling. She especially loved being with family, relatives and friends. She is a member of the St Marys and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, charter and life member of Veterans of Foreign War Auxiliary, Christian Mothers Society, St Annes Society, and Little Falls Senior Center. She volunteered at the Morrison County Food Shelf, Little Falls Senior Center, VFW Auxiliary, Lutheran Care Center, and St Marys Church. In appreciation of civic contributions, the citizens of Little Falls gave her the Mayors Pride Award. At 94 years of age she was still raking leaves and shoveling snow.

Esther is survived by sons Wayne (Cynthia Carter) LeBlanc, Centerville, MN, Dean (Barbara Beber) LeBlanc, Eveleth, MN, sister Audrey Karpinski, High Point, NC, grandchildren Kelley (Alan Dodson) LeBlanc, Julie (Erik Jackson) LeBlanc, Kyle LeBlanc, Sara (Jeffrey Haug) LeBlanc, Kori (David Geiger) Geiger, great-grandchildren Asher, Elin, Ethan, Gavin, Martin; nieces and nephews, Jim, David, Amy, Alan and Ann Karpinski.

Preceded in in death by parents Stanley and Rose (Knopik) Hines, husband Jerome on Nov 13, 2006, sisters Isabelle Karpinski and Frances Hines, brother John Hines died at childbirth. Brothers-in-law John Karpinski, Alexander Karpinski, Frederick LeBlanc, Ralph Richner, Michael Knopik. Sisters-in-law Lorraine Richner and Vivian Knopik.

Casket Bearers: Kyle LeBlanc, Jim Karpinski, David Karpinski, Alan Karpinski, Charles Stanek, Jeffrey Haug.