Obituary of Mathilde Johanna Maria Esser

Mathilde Johanna Maria Imhof Esser, 90, of North Liberty/Davenport, passed January 7, 2023, at the University of Iowa Hospital with her family by her side. Memorial services will be held Saturday, January 21st at Coralville United Methodist Church, 806 13th Avenue, Coralville, IA. Visitation will begin at 9am, with Services starting at 11am. Mathilde will be laid to rest at Ridgewood Cemetery, North Liberty at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in care of the family. Mathilde Esser was born September 29, 1932 in Mannheim, Germany. She was the youngest daughter of Heinrich and Johannna (Gackle) Imhof. She had two older brothers Karl and Heinrich Imhof. Mathilde married Hubert Esser in Mannheim on March 13, 1959, and shared a wonderful life together. Mathilde was a caring daughter, a loving wife, an understanding mother, a supportive grandmother, and a generous Teacher. She was hopeful and positive, and a lot of people know her as “Oma”. She was a skilled certified seamstress and a model in her younger years in Mannheim. She moved from Germany to Davenport with her husband Hubert in 1973. She had to learn the new language of English and make her way into the community. She was part of the Parent’s Council at her children’s school and later then joined the ST. K./St. M faculty, first as a tutor for the foreign language students, a German Teacher and then as Early School Teacher at St. Katharine’s/St. Marks’ Preparatory School. She was a member of the Kings Daughters and active participant in this charitable organization. She made the most beautiful tortes and cakes and even winning awards as a gifted chef. She volunteered at the Angel of Mercy Craft Group and was an active member in the Coralville Senior Exercise Group. She Ushered at the Coralville Performing Arts and greeted everyone with her personal touch to make people feel welcomed and valued. She also lended a hand in the community by helping out at the Food Pantry. Through the friendships she made she became a member of the Red Hat Society. Hilde/Oma was beloved by all. She had the warmest smile, a playful and adventurous spirit, she was up for anything and her love for her family had no bounds. She loved to teach, bake and cook, craft and scrapbook, paint and play games, kayak, canoe, and travel; destinations included the Southwest, Japan, Chesapeake Bay, Canada, Puerto Rico, France and Mexico. She truly touched everyone she met and was a pillar in the community and throughout her life. She was an inspiration and supporter and loved to make other people happy. Her favorite thing was to laugh and be with her family. Oma attended every Liberty high school volleyball match watching Cassidy with enthusiasm and supported each player, she was recognized by the Liberty High School Volleyball Fan of the Year in 2019. She sat in every and any climate to cheer on her grandson Atticus for his baseball, flag football and basketball games. She drew beautiful drawings with Gabi and had fun outings. Oma supported Caroline throughout her Pharmacy career and loved listening to her experiences. Oma's smile brightened everyone's day, she had the most welcoming presence and was kind to everyone she met. Oma supported all her grandkids’ dreams, and nothing could get in the way of bonding time with them. She even went all the way to Japan for the birth of her grandchild Monika, navigating the country with toddler Adina at her side. She was always stylish, and Adina and Monika loved bonding with her over fashion. She made dresses for the girls, had fun shopping sprees, and supported Adina’s dreams of working in fashion herself. She was always down to join in on the fun, whether it was drawing, dancing, or even laser tag at Ken’s paintball center. Oma encouraged Ken to follow his passion for cars and couldn’t be happier to be driven around by him. Oma also taught her granddaughter Hannah how to knit and sew. She was a supporter of her grandson Robert’s model airplane competitions and bike races. Oma had love for all of God’s creatures. She would feed birds and stray cats-nothing was too small or insignificant for her love. Her boundless joy could not be quenched-even when told to come closer in the face of her grandson Robert wielding a garden hose. Oma never said no to a challenge. Her goal a year before Robert and Brooke’s wedding was that she would dance with Robert, even though at the time she was in a wheelchair. And she did it! That’s who she was: tough and determined. She would do anything for those she loved. When it was time to leave, goodbyes were long and repeated “Alla dann…bis bald…Tschüss…hab dich lieb…Tschüss…” Mathilde is survived by her children, Susanne (Thomas) Marier, Hubert (Eriko) Esser, Marianne (Mike) Hartman and her grandchildren Robert (Brooke) Marier, and Hannah Marier; Adina(Braden), Monika and Ken Esser; Caroline (Dillon), Gabrielle, Cassidy and Atticus Hartman. Relatives in Germany: Thomas Alles, Peter and Klaus Imhof, Ulrike Esser-Schoch. And by her close friends, Brenda Spencer, Diana Swanson, Waltraud Martens, Barbara and Reiner Arschel, and Marilyn Jensen. The family would like to thank the staff at Lantern Park Specialty Care and University of Iowa Hospital ER and Medical ICU teams for their love and compassion they showed Mathilde and family. LOVE YOU MORE!