Esther Frost Obituary

Esther Frost
Esther lived a joyful 100 years. She was born on January 26, 1925, in Lisbon, North Dakota, to Danish immigrants Henri P. and Lydia (Palmvig) Fugl. Although times were difficult on the family farm during the Great Depression and a 7-year drought, Esther fondly remembered how her family worked hard, persevered, and met life's challenges with resilience and good humor.
As a teenager, she taught geography in the very school where she began her education-Cleveland Consolidated. At age 16, she was on her own, studying Home Economics at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. During WWII, she met her future husband, Jack Frost, before he left for boot camp and medical training. All contact with her family in occupied Denmark was cut-off. Still, Esther stayed focused on her education and chose to change her academic path, transferring to NDSU to study English.
With the war's end came a flurry of life events: Jack returned to his studies at NDSU, Esther began her teaching career in rural North Dakota and she was reunited with her large family in Denmark. Esther married Jack on August 15, 1948. Soon after, they welcomed their first child, then moved to Midland, Michigan, in 1952.
Once all her children were in school, Esther returned to the profession she loved teaching young minds. She continued her own education and earned an M.A. in Library Science from CMU in 1976. For 20 years, she served as a librarian and media specialist (K6) with Midland Public Schools, primarily at Eastlawn Elementary, retiring in 1987.
Esther loved traveling, especially to visit family and friends. She made many trips to North Dakota, Florida, North Carolina, California, Denmark, and Iceland. She also enjoyed sailing with Jack and guests on Lake Huron aboard their 30-foot sloop, Black Knight. In 2000, Esther and Jack moved to Arizona to be near family and enjoy a more agreeable climate.
After Jack's passing in 2011, Esther worked hard to live independently and stay in her home, often welcoming friends and family to visit and enjoy the warm Arizona winters.
Esther was extremely proud to have joined the P.E.O. Sisterhood in 1967, participating in Chapters CZ (Michigan) and DQ (Arizona). She served in various chapter offices, and under her leadership, Chapter DQ had 11 recipients of the highly competitive Scholar Award for young women completing their doctoral degrees. Until recently, she continued to serve in a leadership role.
Esther passed away peacefully under hospice care and in the company of family in the early morning hours of June 30, 2025, at her home in Sun City West.
She is survived by her children: Jennifer Frost (Bob Gilson), Lisa Frost (Michael Kusiak), and Charles Frost (Katherine Russell); her grandchildren: Caitlin Gilson, Mason Frost, Carsten Kusiak, and Kaden Kusiak; and many dear nieces and nephews. Plus many loving friends.
She was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Jack; her children, Stefan and Karen; her siblings and their spouses: Ivy (Willis) Brenton, Ruth (Jack) Hult, Alice (Leo) Kane, and Carsten (Sharon) Fugl; and her sisters-in-law: Rosemary (Bill) Simanton, Jean Miller, and Ruth (David) Hoyt.
Memorial services for Esther are scheduled for, July 27th, 1 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church (Verona, ND) and for August 11th, 11 a.m. at Memorial Presbyterian Church (Midland, MI). For those wishing to express their appreciation for her life, please consider a gift to one of her places of devotion: St. John's Lutheran Church (Verona, ND), Memorial Presbyterian Church (Midland, MI), or Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church (Sun City West, AZ).