Elementary school teacher and principal Esther Pilster of Omaha, Nebraska, earned many accolades for her work in the classroom and her community service. Photo credit: Omaha World Herald
Many fine educators earn recognition for a lifetime of work in the classroom and in the community. One of these was Ester Pilster, an elementary school teacher and philanthropist from Gage County, Nebraska.
Esther was born on Nov. 11, 1916, on a farm near Wymore, Gage County. After her high school graduation from Otoe Consolidated High School in Barneston, she attended Peru State College. Eventually she earned first her Bachelor’s degree and then her Master’s degree from the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
Once she earned her degrees, Esther inaugurated her teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse in Gage County. In the 1940s, she moved to Omaha to teach at Jungman, Jackson, and Belle Ryan Elementary Schools. She also taught sixth grade at West Ward elementary in Chadron. Eventually, she was appointed to the position of principal at Boyd Elementary School, a position she held for over 21 years until her retirement in 1982.
Throughout the 1940s, Esther was a featured speaker at the annual Rural Teachers Institute held in Gage County. In the 1950s, she taught at a summer reading clinic for gifted students in Omaha. In the 1960s she was elected president of the Nebraska chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, a prestigious organization that continues to provide professional support for women educators to this day. In fact, she once served as the society’s state chapter president.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Esther contributed her energy and resources to numerous community service projects. She was active in the local chapter of the Friendship Force, attending their leadership conferences as a participant and presenter. She hosted many international guests as part of the Friendship Force. In addition, she served as a Congressional Senior Intern to Washington, DC in 1984. In 2006, Esther donated over 3,731 acres of ranch land for the creation of the Mari Sandoz Heritage Center, an enterprise that focuses on teaching agricultural skills and supports an agronomy research center. She was also involved in the Great Plains Welsh Heritage Museum and the Welsh Society of Nebraska.
For her many accomplishments, Esther earned many accolades. She was named “Queen of Keystone,” an honorary title given to notable people in Keystone, Omaha, in 1979. In 1997, Omaha named a park in her honor. In 2006, the city of Omaha honored her with the key to the city in recognition for her years of dedication to the community. In 2008, she garnered an Outstanding Educator award from the Omaha World Herald.
Sadly, Esther Pilster passed away on July 20, 2014, at the age of 97.
