Official Obituary of
Esther R. Tenney
March 15, 1920 ~ April 28, 2007 (age 87) 87 Years Old
Esther Tenney Obituary
Esther Rachel Tenney, 87, of West Salem, Wis., and former resident of the Salem Community died Saturday, April 28, 2007 at Onalaska Care Center, Onalaska, Wis.
She was born March 15, 1920 in Salem, Iowa, the daughter of Charles Walter and Lena Esther (Wood) McDorman. Esther grew up and attended school in the Salem, Iowa area and married Elton Robert Faeth. She then moved to the Fort Madison, Iowa vicinity and spent time as a housewife living both in city and country residences. Esther and Elton were later divorced.
Esther was employed at Sheaffer Pen Company in Fort Madison for many years and then at the Iowa Ordinance Plant in Middleton, Iowa. Years later, she owned and operated a restaurant and lounge in Rockwell, Iowa. Esther also worked for AC Nielson in Mason City, Iowa. For about ten years, she lived in Ukiah, Calif., before moving to the La Crosse/West Salem area to be near her children, Norman Faeth of Black River Falls, Wis., and Eleanor (Joseph) Zebell of West Salem, Wis.
Esther was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great grandmother, sister, and friend to many people. She will be always remembered for her excellent cooking skills, including her Sunday dinners and date cookies, and her talents in making every house that she ever lived in a real home. Esther used her God-given common sense and untiring love for life to guide her every action. She was always thinking of ways to make the lives of other people better.
In addition to her two children, Esther is survived by six grandchildren, Christopher Faeth (fiancee', Ann Ward) of Dakota, Minn., Sean (Jennifer) Faeth of Edina, Minn., Joel (Sharon) Faeth of Greenville, Wis., Michael (Michell) Williams of Brandon, S.D., Adam Faeth and Emily Faeth, both of La Crosse, Wis.; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and two sisters, Virginia (Clarence) Savage of Hamilton, IL., and Martha Peterson of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.
Esther was preceded in death by her parents; her former husbands, Elton Faeth, Harold Staaf, Raymond Tenney, and Hans Hansen; a son, Arlen Staaf; a granddaughter, Kristin Williams; two sisters, Sylvia Wall and Mildred Leafgreen; and three brothers, Elmer, Albert, and Jesse McDorman.
Memorial services will be 11:00 A.M., Saturday, May 5, 2007 at the Beatty-Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa with the Rev Harold Dorsey officiating. Burial will be in Salem South Cemetery, Salem, Iowa. In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established in her memory.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.beattymurphyfh.com
She was born March 15, 1920 in Salem, Iowa, the daughter of Charles Walter and Lena Esther (Wood) McDorman. Esther grew up and attended school in the Salem, Iowa area and married Elton Robert Faeth. She then moved to the Fort Madison, Iowa vicinity and spent time as a housewife living both in city and country residences. Esther and Elton were later divorced.
Esther was employed at Sheaffer Pen Company in Fort Madison for many years and then at the Iowa Ordinance Plant in Middleton, Iowa. Years later, she owned and operated a restaurant and lounge in Rockwell, Iowa. Esther also worked for AC Nielson in Mason City, Iowa. For about ten years, she lived in Ukiah, Calif., before moving to the La Crosse/West Salem area to be near her children, Norman Faeth of Black River Falls, Wis., and Eleanor (Joseph) Zebell of West Salem, Wis.
Esther was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great grandmother, sister, and friend to many people. She will be always remembered for her excellent cooking skills, including her Sunday dinners and date cookies, and her talents in making every house that she ever lived in a real home. Esther used her God-given common sense and untiring love for life to guide her every action. She was always thinking of ways to make the lives of other people better.
In addition to her two children, Esther is survived by six grandchildren, Christopher Faeth (fiancee', Ann Ward) of Dakota, Minn., Sean (Jennifer) Faeth of Edina, Minn., Joel (Sharon) Faeth of Greenville, Wis., Michael (Michell) Williams of Brandon, S.D., Adam Faeth and Emily Faeth, both of La Crosse, Wis.; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and two sisters, Virginia (Clarence) Savage of Hamilton, IL., and Martha Peterson of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.
Esther was preceded in death by her parents; her former husbands, Elton Faeth, Harold Staaf, Raymond Tenney, and Hans Hansen; a son, Arlen Staaf; a granddaughter, Kristin Williams; two sisters, Sylvia Wall and Mildred Leafgreen; and three brothers, Elmer, Albert, and Jesse McDorman.
Memorial services will be 11:00 A.M., Saturday, May 5, 2007 at the Beatty-Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa with the Rev Harold Dorsey officiating. Burial will be in Salem South Cemetery, Salem, Iowa. In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established in her memory.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.beattymurphyfh.com
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Esther R. Tenney, please visit our floral store.
Services
You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Esther R. Tenney
© 2026 Murphy Funeral Home and Monuments. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS & TA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility