SERVICE
Hill & Son Funeral Home
Appleton City, Missouri
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
10:00 a.m.

MINISTERS
Reverend Tony Reynolds,
Jerry Johannigmeier and
Reverend Gar Garman

VISITATION
Hill & Son Funeral Home
Appleton City, Missouri
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

INTERMENT
Appleton City Cemetery
Appleton City, Missouri

MEMORIALS
Round Prairie Baptist Church,
Appleton City Cemetery Association and
Bates County Historical Society

Esther Lydia Schapeler Gilbreath, the daughter of William Louis and Lena Henrietta (Steiner) Schapeler, was born March 28, 1913 and departed this life on March 4, 2007 in Appleton City, Missouri at the age of 93 years.
Mrs. Gilbreath was born and lived near Appleton City in Bates County and the Round Prairie neighborhood except for the years her husband William served in World War II.
She graduated from Appleton City High School in 1929. She graduated with a B.S. in elementary education for primary grades on August 17, 1941 and a M.S. in education July 30, 1954 from Central Missouri State College in Warrensburg, Missouri.
Mrs. Gilbreath taught in a one room school until 1952 when Hudson R-9 was built. She then served as principal and taught first and second grades until 1983 when she retired from 50 years of teaching.
Esther was united in marriage to William Warren Gilbreath on July 12, 1942 in Warrensburg, Missouri while attending college. To this union one child, William Marlin Gilbreath, was born in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Esther was a member of Round Prairie Baptist Church where she served as church song leader and taught the young peoples' Sunday school class for a number of years.
She belonged to many organizations. Mrs. Gilbreath was a founder who helped organize Bates County Historical Society and remained a life long board member. She was a board member of the Bates County American Cancer Society, worked in hospice, Ladies Bates County Cattlemen's Association, Retired Teacher's Organization, Missouri Honorary Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority from its beginning in 1950 and served two years as state president.
Retirement days were spent at Countryside Estates in Appleton City, Missouri. She appreciated the kindness of people who worked there and enjoyed visiting with other residents. The visits from friends, former students and family brought much happiness to her and she loved the time spent with grand and great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband William, and sister Lucille Brown. She is survived by her son William Marlin Gilbreath and wife Barbara; two granddaughters, Betsy Anne and Belinda Ruth; two great-granddaughters, Kayla Jordan, and Christina Dawn; a great-grandson Tyler Scott, all of St. Charles, Missouri; one sister-in-law Betty Ann Clark and husband Clifford and their children of Butler, Missouri; dear cousins, children of Lucille Brown; other relatives and a host of school students and friends.