Esther Oman

Esther P. Oman was born October 11, 1919 in Lydiat, Manitoba, Canada. She was the third child of Pauline Yabs and William Calvin Nau. Life was hard in rural Manitoba at that time as the family had a small farm and four children to raise. Esther's mother worked on the farm and her father taught school as well as was the preacher at the local church. It was a dreary hardscrabble life and Pauline wanted more for herself and her children. In the late 1920s the family moved to Portland, Oregon. There Esther attended Sellwood grade school, Milwaukie Junior High, Washington High and finished her education graduating from Lincoln High School. She assisted at her parents boarding houses during the difficult Depression years. Following high school Esther attended business college and took a job at Montgomery Wards in northwest Portland. Her supervisor there was Oliver "Ollie" Oman and they married May 11, 1940 and made their first home in Portland. Following World War II Esther and Ollie moved to the Long Beach Peninsula where they raised their four sons. As her boys were growing into adolescence Esther made sure they attended Sunday School and summer Bible school. Esther was the junior choir director for the local community church in Long Beach when the younger boys were in grade school. Education was important to her and she wanted all her sons to attended college. Two of the boys graduated from college and the other two attended college for some time. Esther enjoyed watching her sons play sports. She also enjoyed traveling to Kauai with her husband and taking various road trips. She and Oliver operated Ollie Oman Construction until his death in 1989. She stayed on as bookkeeper and boss behind the scenes there until the operation closed in 2007. Esther's greatest joy was her family and grandchildren and family photos are clearly evident throughout her home. Esther leaves behind her four sons: Douglas, Donald, Philip (Cynthia) and Dennis (Marion) Oman; grandchildren Nicholas, Alison, Karl and Marina; and great-grandson Kaden. She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, and her husband Oliver who passed in 1989 just a month short of their 50th wedding anniversary. Esther led a busy and full life until cancer struck in August of this year. At age 92 she was still very independent and driving her car all over the Peninsula and across the river to Astoria. When the illness was diagnosed she went downhill rapidly and died peacefully at her home on the morning of December 22, 2011. All four sons took turns caring for her from the onset so she could stay at her residence as she wished. Hospice was involved in Esther's care from the onset and they were extremely helpful and attentive to her. Esther was laid to rest next to her husband Oliver at a family graveside service at Peaceful Hill Cemetery in Naselle. Memorial may be made to either the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum, South Pacific County Humane Society or Harbors Home Health and Hospice in care of Penttila's Chapel by The Sea, PO Box 417, Long Beach, WA 98631. Her guestbook is available at www.penttilaschapel.com.