She was born on June 26, 1928 to Nora Katherine (Schmidt) and Edward Lisius. She grew up on the Lisius farm in Kawkawlin, Michigan. Her love for the outdoors started there with gardening and field work. She was an excellent student, graduating as the eighth grade valedictorian. She attended Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw, Michigan. She went on to community college for one year before attending Valparaiso University in Indiana. It was at “Valpo”that she met her life partner, Gordon Hempel. They were married in 1948. She and Gordon built Film Comm/TV Access, the family business, together. She lived in Des Moines, Iowa; Chicago, Illinois; White Plains, New York; Morton Grove, Illinois, Bloomingdale, Illinois, and Nashville, Tennessee. 

Esther is survived by her children: Carol (J. Ross) Hunter, Cheryl (Hugh) Reitan, Keith (Michele) Hempel, Kenneth (Teresa) Hempel and Cynda Johnson, grandchildren: Brielle, Zachary, Jason, Kyle, Tyler, Katharine and Caroline; great-grandchildren: Brenda, Olivia, Greta, Linnea, Dakota, Jack, Will, Jane, Annie, Will, Griffin, Hazel and Charlotte; and one great-great-granddaughter, Willow, as well as many other nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Gordon in 1994, her son-in-law, William Johnson, her great-grand daughter, Norah Grace Hempel, by sisters, Irma Gies and Elsie Dietlein, and brothers, Harold Lisius and Elmer Lisius.

Esther will be remembered as an active member of her church, for the work she and her husband did as lay missionaries in Peru and Texas and for her participation in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. In addition, she was an adventurous traveler, visiting 37 countries. She rode on a camel and an elephant. She took river cruises through Europe, as well as long bike rides in Ireland,  Vienna to Budapest, and Kerala, India. She hiked portions of the Appalachian Trail and the Inca Trail. She was an avid runner, placing third in her age group in the 1984 Chicago Marathon. Above all she was a kind, caring, and loving mother, who showed her children and those around her how to find beauty in life. She made the world bigger and more exciting through reading books, cooking delicious meals, visiting museums, gardens, parks and churches.