Obituary of Esther L. Drew

Esther L. Drew, 83, of Iowa City, died Sunday, April 9, 2017, at Colonial Manor of Amana. Funeral services will be at 11:00 am Thursday, April 13, 2017, at the Coralville United Methodist Church. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 pm Wednesday at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service. A memorial Fund has been established in Esther’s memory. Esther L. (Bruene) Drew was born April 26, 1933 in Tama County, Iowa; daughter of Chris F. and Edna V. (Gethmann) Bruene. She graduated from Toledo High School and went onto continue her education in nursing at the Evangelical School of Nursing in Marshalltown in ‘55, and later attaining her BSN from the University of Iowa in 1974. She worked a few years at the VAMC in Des Moines, and later served as a staff nurse and staff development coordinator for the Visiting Nurses Association in Johnson County from 1974-1998. She was a former member of the Gladbrook Methodist Church, member of the Coralville UMC where she was active on various church committees and also shared her talents as an organist. She also helped regularly with the Crop Walk. Her family includes her children, Dwight Drew (Deb) of Traer, IA and Valinda Meyer (Dale) of North Liberty; sister, Martha Hurlbut of Cedar Falls; brothers, George and Charles Bruene of Traer, IA and Donald Bruene of Boone, IA; granddaughter, Jacque Gutwein (Bob) of Coralville and grandsons, Jason Drew (Jami) of Gladbrook, IA and Dana Drew of Iowa City; great-grandchildren, Jaci, Lily, Garrett, Bobby and Elise; and Esther’s longtime companion, Frank Peters. Esther was preceded in death by her parents and great-grandson, Tyson Drew. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for Esther’s family and her services.