Esther Mather Leiper-Estabrooks died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on June 8, 2026.
Esther began writing poetry and prose in 1954 at age eight. Her first piece was about Joan of Arc. It included this couplet: When Joan wanted to go off into battle, She was told to stay home and mind the cattle.
kAm$96 DE2CE65 2 ;@FC?2=[ 3FE A@6>D H6C6 >@C6 :?EC:8F:?8] ~?6 r9C:DE>2D[ D96 C646:G65 2? 2?E9@=@8J 2?5 5:D4@G6C65 G6CD6 4@F=5 36 D9@CE @C =@?8j >:89E C9J>6 @C ?@E] $@@? D96 25565 A@6>D E@ 96C ;@FC?2=] p 8C62E 8:7E H2D 96C 72E96C C6A@CE:?8 7@C E96 !9:=256=A9:2 x?BF:C6C] w6 EJA65 FA 96C A@6>D E@ >2<6 E96> =@@< AC@76DD:@?2=P pD:56 7C@> 9:89 D49@@=[ tDE96C AF3=:D965 :? 4@==686 2E ':C8:?:2 r@>>@?H62=E9 &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am
kAmr@==686 6?565[ 2?5 tDE96C H6?E 9@>6 E@ E6249 2?5 D@@? >2CC:65] (96? !6E6C’D ;@3 E@@< E96> E@ %6??6DD66[ D96 3682? 8C25 H@C< 2E %6??6DD66 %649 &?:G6CD:EJ[ H9:49 D96 =@G65] *6E[ H96? D96 H2D DE2CE:?8[ D96 H2D 2D<65 E@ 364@>6 “!@6E :? E96 $49@@=D” 7F==\E:>6 7@C E96 9F86 CFC2= 2C62 @7 !FE?2> r@F?EJ[ H:E9 2 86?6C@FD D2=2CJ] $96 2446AE65[ 3FE 4@F=5?’E C6EFC? E@ 96C |up AC@8C2> 27E6C E96 D49@@= J62C D:?46 !6E6C’D 4@CA@C2E6 ;@3 E@@< E96> E@ ~9:@[ E96? :? `hfe E@ }6H w2>AD9:C6[ 9:D W2?5 #@36CE uC@DE’DX 9@>6 DE2E6 H96C6 tDE96C =:G65 F?E:= 96C 562E9]k^Am
kAm$@@? D96 HC@E6 4@=F>?D 7@C 2 =@42= ?6HDA2A6C 2?5 3642>6 A@6ECJ 65:E@C 7@C %96 x?<=:?8 |282K:?6[ H9:49 6IA2?565 E@ (C:E6C’D y@FC?2=] $96 2=D@ H@?[ A=FD ;F5865[ ?2E:@?2= A@6ECJ 4@?E6DED[ 56DA:E6 =@?8 9@FCD 2E @FC EH6?EJ\7@FC\9@FC\D6G6?\52J\2\H66< 4@F?ECJ DE@C6 E92E D96 2?5 !6E6C 56D:8?65 2?5 @A6C2E65] $96 @7E6? D4C:33=65 A@6> 5C27ED @? A2A6C 56=: A=2E6D[ 2?5 ;F5865 A@6ECJ 4@?E6DED 5FC:?8 DE@C6 D=24<\E:>6] $96 D4@C?65 :?6I24E C9J>6D] $96 AC:565 96CD6=7 @? 49@@D:?8 6I24E H@C5 A2:CD[ @442D:@?2==J 4@?DF=E:?8 C9J>:?8 5:4E:@?2C:6D]k^Am
kAmtDE96C HC@E6 7@C (C:E6C’D y@FC?2= |282K:?6 7@C b_ J62CD[ E96? 4@?E:?F65 E@ HC:E6 2E G2C:65 G6?F6D 2?5 ;F5865 4@?E6DED H96? 2D<65] x?5665[ ;F58:?8 :D 2 H2J E@ 6IA6C:6?46 E649?:BF6D FD65 3J @E96CD H9:=6 @3D6CG:?8 9@H E96:C 677@CED >:89E :>AC@G6] $96 4@?E:?F65 E@ 4@?DF=E[ A=FD “3@@< 5@4E@C” 7@C 4=:6?ED G:2 !6E6C 2?5 96C D92C65 3FD:?6DD <?@H? 2D q=F6 y2J (C:E:?8 $6CG:46D[ E@86E96C AC@5F4:?8 96C bd_\A286 (:?P !@6ECJ r@?E6DED 3@@< :? a__e]k^Am
kAmtDE96C DEF5:65 7@C>D 2?5 E649?:BF6D 7@C HC:E:?8 7=6I:3:=:EJ] ~?46 D96 C6D4F65 2 A@6ECJ E6IE 3J s@?2=5 w2== 7C@> E96 3FC? A:E 2E @FC E@H? =2?57:==] $96 92D :E DE:==[ H:E9 2 52C< D4@C49 >2C< @? E96 4@G6C] $96 <?6H E92E 2 46CE2:? =@42= =:3C2CJ E9C6H @FE >:?E\4@?5:E:@? 3@@<D 2E 2 =@42= EC2?D76C DE2E:@?[ H9:49 D96 C6D4F65 H96? D96 4@F=5] $96 <6AE >2?J 7@C 96C =:3C2CJ[ ?@H :? 6I46DD @7 d[___ 3@@<D H:E9 2 42A24:EJ 7@C `_[___]k^Am
kAmtDE96C’D 7:CDE 3@@< D@=5 H2D 2? 6A:4 :? C9J>6 C@J2=[ E:E=65 %96 (2CD @7 u26CJ[ D6C:2=:K65 :? EH6=G6 6A:D@56D 3J p>6=:2 |282K:?6] r2=:7@C?:2 2CE:DE y2>6D |:4926= s@CD6J 56D:8?65 E96 4@=@C 4@G6C 7@C E96 7:CDE :DDF6[ A=FD 5:5 A6? 2?5 :?< :==FDEC2E:@?D 7@C 7@==@H:?8 6A:D@56D] $96 3642>6 9@@<65 @? E96 C6=2E:@?D9:A @7 A@6ECJ 36:?8 AC6D6?E65 H:E9 2CEH@C<] |@C6 C646?E=J[ D96 D@=5 96C G6CD6 E2=6 !C:?46DD $F?C:D6 E@ E96 vC62E }@CE9 (@@5D y@FC?2=[ D6C:2=:K65 H:E9 96C :==FDEC2E:@?D 7@C e_ H66<D] {2E6C[ A@6>D 2?5 A:I H6C6 6?=2C865[ E9C66 6249 @? EH6?EJ DE@CJ 3@2C5D[ 762EFC65 2E E96 %623:C5 v2==6CJ @? |2:? $EC66E :? q6C=:?[ }]w]k^Am
kAmx? a__c[ D96 H2D ?@>:?2E65 7@C E96 7@FCE9 E:>6 E@ E96 }6H w2>AD9:C6 v@G6C?@C 2?5 tI64FE:G6 r@F?4:= 2D $E2E6 !@6E {2FC62E6 :? }6H w2>AD9:C6’D 7:G6\J62C 4J4=6] x? 2 DF3D6BF6?E 244@F?E:?8 @7 2== @7 96C A@6>D[ E96J H6C6 7@F?5 E@ ?F>36C @G6C `a[___ 2D D96 4@?E:?F65 E@ 8C@H 2D 2 }6H w2>AD9:C6 A@6E\2CE:DE] qJ E96 6?5 @7 96C =:76[ D96 925 4@>A=6E65 @G6C `g[___ A@6>D[ H:E9 `[g__ @7 E96> 36:?8 AC:K65 @C AF3=:D965]k^Am
kAmtDE96C :D DFCG:G65 3J 96C 9FD32?5 !6E6C tDE23C@@<D @7 v@C92>[ }]w]j D@? %9@>2D tDE23C@@<D 2=D@ @7 v@C92>j 52F89E6C w2??29 Wy2D@?X &9=>2?? @7 %9C66 u@C<D[ |@?E]j E9C66 8C2?5D@?D 2?5 7C:6?5 r2>>:6 *@F?8]k^Am
kAm%96 72>:=J H@F=5 =:<6 E@ E92?< 2?5 9@?@C }@CE9 r@F?ECJ w@>6 w62=E9 U2>Aj w@DA:46 p86?4J 2?5 p>6C:4@CAD $6?:@C r@>A2?:@? !C@8C2> 7@C E96:C 6I46AE:@?2= 2?5 AC@76DD:@?2= D6CG:46]k^Am
kAmx? 244@C52?46 H:E9 96C H:D96D[ 2 AC:G2E6 D6CG:46 H:== 36 96=5 2E 2 =2E6C 52E6[ H:E9 3FC:2= 2E tG2?D r6>6E6CJ] pCC2?86>6?ED 2C6 6?ECFDE65 E@ E96 qCJ2?E uF?6C2= w@>6D U2>Aj rC6>2E@CJ] |6>@C:6D 2?5 4@?5@=6?46D >2J 36 D92C65 @?=:?6 2EU?3DAjk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^3CJ2?E42C6D]4@>Qm3CJ2?E42C6D]4@>k^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.