Esther Smith Wurst

 Esther Olivia Smith Wurst, 103, of Meigs was born on February 14, 1915 in Irwin County, Georgia to the late Mary Kilgore Smith and Thomas Wilburn Smith. She died on Thursday, February 15th at her home, the day after her birthday. Esther graduated from Georgia State Women’s college with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1937. She was a college athlete, competing in synchronized swimming, pole vaulting, and tennis. After college, she worked in Lumpkin, Georgia where she met her husband, Charles Gottlieb Wurst. They married in 1940, had three children and moved to Meigs, Ga around 1948.  Esther taught first grade in Ochlocknee, Meigs, Shriver School in Grady county, and in Pelham City where she retired in 1977. After retirement she could not walk the aisles of Harvey’s without being interrupted by an adoring former student. She always remembered them fondly. Esther, was a force. She had grace, grit, and gumption. Her favorite topic was her garden. She kept an enviable rose garden, an overflowing grapevine, and a vegetable garden. She was active in the Meigs Baptist Church, the Meigs Garden Club, and Eastern Star. She was an accomplished hostess and home cook. She spent her spare time working on the family farm “the old Homeplace” in Ochlocknee.     Esther was a child of the depression. She canned tomatoes in the summer, kept two deep freezers full of vegetables, counted and rolled change, and saved money. She was a survivalist. Through many trials, Esther was the symbol of strength. Every single day, you wake up, you thank God for all he has given you, and you move forward. Sometimes you keep moving forward for 103 years. Esther is preceded in death by husband Charles Gottlieb Wurst, Sr. Her children, Mary Olivia Wurst Crutchfield Roberts and Charles Gottlieb Wurst, Jr. Her grandson, Inman Payne Crutchfield, III., and her great-grandson Thomas "Mac" McLane Crutchfield. Esther is survived by her son, John Gotlieb Wurst II and, wife, Patricia M. Wurst of Tallahassee. Her grandchildren,  Charles Wurst III (Stacy) of Athens; Lisa W. Harvey of Evans; Randy Wurst (Vickie) of Grovetown; Mary Crutchfield Stitt of Port Washington, WI, Charles McLane Crutchfield (Margaret) of Ochlocknee, Mary Rebecca Bolles (Steve) of Tallahassee, Kathy Roberts Gould of Tallahassee, Thomas Andrew Roberts of Tallahassee, Gina Wurst Yeager (John) of Charleston, SC, Alison Wurst Denny (Tim) of Tallahassee, and Pamela Wurst Vetrini (Sal)of Alexandria, VA, and 21 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Diabetes Association or Meigs Baptist Church. Funeral services will be held Sunday, February 18, 2018 at 2:30PM at Meigs Baptist Church. The Rev. Dennis Norman will officiate and interment will be in Meigs Sunset Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Charlie Wurst, Randy Wurst, Charlie Crutchfield, Drew Roberts, Charlie Harvey and George Wurst and Honorary pallbearers will be Deacons of Meigs Baptist Church. The family will receive friends at the church on Sunday from 1:30PM-2:30PM. Friends may sign the online guestbook at www.willisjamersonbraswell.com Willis-Jamerson-Braswell Funeral Home, Pelham