Esther Fast

Esther Helen Fast, 100, of Lustre Mont., passed away at Valley View Home, in Glasgow, Mont., on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.

A time for friends and family will be held at the Bell Mortuary on Sunday, July 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. Celebration of Life will be on Monday, July 18, at 2 p.m at the EMB Church, 344 Wall Street Road, Lustre. Esther will be buried next to Marvin in the EMB Cemetery and refreshments will follow.

She was born May 30, 1922, to Jacob and Lena Fast. She joined a brother, Elvin and a sister, Erma followed.

Esther was a lifelong member of the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church in Lustre. She taught childrens Sunday school and was active in the women's mission society. She accepted Jesus as her savior at the age of nine at an evangelistic tent meeting at her church.

She started her education at Center Bell School in Lustre and graduated from Glasgow High School in 1940.

Esther married Marvin Fast May 10, 1944, when Marvin was on leave from serving the country in the civilian public service. Their first son, Gary, was born in 1945. When Marvin completed his service, he worked for Esther's parents on the farm. A few years later they purchased the farm from her parents. Six more children were added to the family, Terry, Wanda, Dale, Glenda, Ricky and Kevin.

Sewing was Esther's passion. She loved making dresses, wedding, prom, and many little girl dresses. She was asked to sew infant dresses from old wedding dresses that were donated to an organization that gave them to stillborn infants. She also loved to quilt, crochet and embroider, but her greatest joy was giving her creations away.

There was never a small garden at the Fast farm and along with that garden, she had chickens, she milked cows, which bothered her boys since she could out milk them. She did a lot of baking and with all of this she still had a "regular" route when she took and sold her goods "to town."

Esther was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin; son Terry; granddaughter Lauren Handran; her parents, Jacob and Lena Fast; brother Elvin; and son-in-laws David Handran and Bill Fladager.

Esther is survived by her sons, Gary Fast (Marcia), of Lustre, Dale Fast, of Salem, Ore., Ricky Fast (Alicia), of Salem, and Kevin Fast, of Belgrade, Mont .; daughters, Wanda (Tom) Ault, of Fort Peck, Mont., Glenda Fladager, of Scobey, Mont., and daughter-in-law Mona, of Fort Peck; sister, Erma Penner, of Dallas, Ore., and brother-in-law Harvey Fast, of Glasgow; 20 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, seven great-great grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, and special friends.

She was proud of her family and living to 100 she saw many added to make a very large family with many birthdays to remember- which she did!

Condolences may be left at bellmortuarymontana.com.