Esther Mae Schneider, age 77 of Blooming Prairie, died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014, at her home. Esther Mae Barber was born May 9, 1936, in Gordonsville, Minn., to Vern and Esther (Booen) Barber.

She was raised on the family farm and attended school through eighth grade in Rose Creek. On May 9, 1954, she was united in marriage to Mel Schneider at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Waltham, Minn. They raised their family of six children in the Blooming Prairie area. They were divorced in 1994. Mae worked as a waitress at the Plaza Truckstop and Lansing Corners Supper Club for many years. She was also the bookkeeper for Schneider Grain & Trucking and TS Express. Mae’s many hobbies included growing roses, oil painting ceramics, sewing, crocheting, and traveling. She was an excellent cook and enjoyed canning and wine making. She loved listening to classic gospel music. Mae was a member of First Lutheran Church in Blooming Prairie and the V.F.W. and American Legion Auxiliary. Her greatest love and joy was her family.

Survivors include her children, Cathy (Tim) Boever of Blooming Prairie, Karen Schneider of Glenville, Minn., Terry (Barb) Schneider of Blooming Prairie, Cheryl (Larry) Shoden of Rochester, Minn., Brenda (Scott) Thompson of Austin, Rhonda (Dennis) Underdahl, also of Austin; 13 grandchildren, Erica (Todd) Nelson, Allison (Travis) Hensrud, Chrissy (Jeff) Getchell, Thomas Boever, Tracy (Mickey) Chastain, Rachel (Steve) Hansen, Mike (Nicole) Schneider, Eric Shoden (Shannon Lorentzen), Jeff Shoden (Kelsey Tollefson), Rebecca (Darin) Voigt, Adam (Bizzy) Thompson, Dalton Underdahl and Dillon Underdahl; 23 great-grandchildren, Arri Meiners, Dustin, Brianna and Hailey Hensrud; Connor and Myah Getchell; Madilynne Boever; Maria Suchanek; Nevaeh Goode; Israel Klungvedt; Alivia Schneider; Bristol Hanson; Harper Hanson; Joshua Shoden; Ariana, Kia and Jaden Lorentzen; brothers-in-law, Vern Schneider of Austin, Art (Tammy) Schneider of Waltham; sisters-in-law, Eldora Barber of Dodge Center, Marion Schneider of Waltham, Maxine (Keith) Bruemmer of Elgin, Nyla Barber of Lansing.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Vern and Esther Barber; infant son, Randall Lee Schneider; grandson, Jason Schneider; brothers, James (Dorothy) Barber, Lloyd Barber, David Barber; sisters, Carol (Lawrence) Oakland, Phyllis (Miller) Jester, Laura Rayman, Ethel (Leslie) Hoffman, Shirley (Darrell) Giles; sister-in-law, June Schneider.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at First Lutheran Church in Blooming Prairie with Pastor Heidi Heimgartner and Pastor Charles Leonard officiating. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday at Worlein Blooming Prairie Funeral Home, and one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Interment will be in State Line Cemetery, Northwood, Iowa. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.