Esther L. Hoag, of Austin, died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, at St. Marks Lutheran Home in Austin.

Esther Louise Beatty was born Nov. 18, 1917, in Muscatine, Iowa, to Thomas and Addie (Schoemaker) Beatty. She went to Muscatine High School and graduated from Iowa State College with a bachelor’s degree in home economics. Esther taught for two years at Ogden High School, Ogden, Iowa. On April 13, 1941, Esther married John Hoag in Muscatine, Iowa. They lived on a farm in Muscatine County until 1950, and moved to a farm south of Austin, Minn., where they lived for 23 years.  Later they lived near Lyle, Minn., for 31 years. The couple joined First Baptist Church in Austin, where Esther taught Sunday school for many years.

Survivors include her three sons, Ronald (Pat) Hoag of Oakland, Minn., Ernest (Joyce) Hoag of Lonsdale, Minn., and Robert Hoag of Parachute, Colo; two daughters, Margaret (Mark) Schellhase of Waverly, Iowa, and Ruth (William) Ostrander of Sandwich, Ill.; 15 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Addie Beatty; husband, John Hoag; two brothers, Carl and Ernest Beatty; a daughter-in-law, JoAnn Hoag; two great-grandsons, Timothy and Zachary Hoag.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012, at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Austin with Pastor Charles Phelps officiating. Interment will follow at Grandview Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.