Esther Lillian Strain, 86, of Meridian, Idaho, passed away on Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010 at her home.

Funeral services will be held on Good Friday, April 2, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 11655 W. McMillan Road, Boise. Services are under the direction of Accent Funeral Home, Meridian. Condolences may be left online at www.accentfuneral.com

Esther Lillian Tangsrud was born on June 10, 1923 on the family homestead near Hamlet, North Dakota, the seventh of nine children born to Norwegian immigrants, Carl Ludvig Tangsrud and Olga Antonette Roed Tangsrud. At the age of 14, Esther left home to go to high school in the town of McGregor, coming home only on the weekends. After high school graduation in 1941 she attended Business School in Fargo and then moved to Seattle, WA to work for Boeing. She then moved with a sister to San Francisco, CA where she worked for the Treasury Department and then for GSA. She loved living in San Francisco where she was the quintessential “career woman”. In August of 1959 she married a charming young widower, Dale Strain, and became an instant mom to Craig, Alan and Marilyn. They moved to the suburbs of Fremont, CA and Esther became a stay at home mom. Another daughter, Cynthia, was born into the family in 1961. Dale and Esther lived in Fremont until they retired in 1982 to Hamilton, Montana where they made many friends and traveled to the southwest each winter in their RV, spending the summers in Montana. In 2002 they moved to Meridian, Idaho to be near their youngest daughter, Cynthia, and have resided there since.

Esther’s faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was the cornerstone and foundation of her life. She was a devoted mother to her four children and she and Dale had the privilege of celebrating 50 years of marriage with a family reunion this past July.

Esther is survived by her husband, Dale of Meridian, son Craig of Red Oak, Iowa, son Alan and wife Barbara of Charlottesville, Virginia, daughter Marilyn Rutledge of Arlington, Texas and daughter Cynthia Goldgrabe and husband Curt of Boise, Idaho. She is also survived by 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and all eight of her siblings. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Boise Rescue Mission.

Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25)