Esther L. (Jonak) Ambrose

Esther L. (Jonak) Ambrose, of St. Paul, passed away on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at Brookefield Park in St. Paul at the age of 91.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Elba, Nebraska.  Father Vince Parsons will be presiding. Interment will be held in the Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Elba, Nebraska. A Rosary will follow at 7:00 P.M.

Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later date. Jacobsen-Greenway-Dietz Funeral Home in St. Paul is assisting the family.

Esther was born on January 10, 1932, to Frank, Sr. and Agnes (Grudzinski) Jonak.  She grew up on a family farm by Ashton. She attended Sherman County #22 Rural School.  She was united in marriage to Milton Ambrose on October 3, 1950, in Paplin, Nebraska.  After raising her children, she received her GED and graduated from Central Community College in Grand Island with her Dietitian Certification.  She was employed at the Elba café. Esther was also the head cook at the Howard County Medical Center for 35 years.

Her hobbies include canning, gardening, decorating cakes, baking, crocheting, and sewing. Esther made a lot of clothes for her children and grandchildren, afghan’s, and doilies.  She enjoyed listening to polka music, reading, and loved doing crossword puzzles in ink.  She was a very active member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and the St. Paul American Legion Auxiliary - Post 119.

Those left to cherish her memory include her son, Craig Ambrose of St. Paul; daughters, Michelle Boyle of Port Pirie, South Australia and Beverly Fitzsimmons of Grand Island; daughters-in-law, Barbara Ambrose of St. Paul and Linda Ambrose of Waverly; grandchildren, David (Chelsea) Ambrose, Phillip Ambrose, Jeff (Carrie) Ambrose, Kelly Jo (Rob) Everson, Kayla (Ryan) Johanek, Ryan (Janessa) Ambrose, Erik (Rachel) Fitzsimmons, Tonya Fitzsimmons, Bryan (Katie) Fitzsimmons, Sarah (Daniel) Kiley, Clare Ambrose, Matthew (Bianca) Boyle, and Michael (Luisa) Boyle; great-grandchildren, Carter, Maverick, Josie, Melanie, Hunter, Lillian, Tristan, Lyla, Reese, Lacey, Adam and Charles.

Esther was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Milton Ambrose; sons, Carl Ambrose and Joe Ambrose; sisters, Almarie Persak and Elaine “Lillian” Dart; infant brother, Eugene Jonak; brothers, Theodore “Ted” Jonak, Lawrence “Larry” Jonak, Frank Jonak, Jr., Isadore Jonak; great-grandchild, Nevaeh Ambrose.