Esther Anna Wargowsky Schlea

Esther Anna Wargowsky Schlea, age 85, of Aiken, SC, passed away peacefully on August 27, 2014 at her beloved home in Aiken, SC. Esther was born in Oak Harbor on November 14, 1928, to Gustav and Mamie (Meinke) Wargowsky. She was nurtured in her faith through the St. John's Lutheran congregation in Oak Harbor and St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Toledo. She was a graduate of Oak Harbor High School and attended Case Western Reserve University. Esther began her career as a medical assistant and X-ray technician. She served as a pre-school teacher and reading tutor in Aiken for more than 20 years before her retirement. The happiest day in Esther's life was the day of her marriage to Carl Schlea of Woodville on September 16, 1950. She loved Carl passionately as his soul mate until his untimely death in 1967. Esther enjoyed church choir at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Aiken, where she served many years on the Church Council. She enjoyed the arts, particularly music, dance and theater. She was a member of the Board of Directors for the Aiken Community Concert Association and the Aiken Civic Ballet Association. She was an avid fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes, her husband Carl's Alma Mater, and the Atlanta Braves. She blessed many hundreds of children and adults with home-made blankets that she crocheted for the Aiken Area Red Cross as a member of the Warm Up Ladies. Esther is survived by her daughters Gayle Koch and Caryle (Frank) Vann; grandchildren, Sarah Fergusson Chambless, Charlotte Koch and Eleanor Koch; and brothers, Judge Donald (Faith) Wargowsky and Richard (Sandra) Wargowsky. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Carl Schlea; her parents; brother, Lloyd Wargowsky; and sisters, Evelyn Moenter, Opal Martin and Ruth Hartman. Funeral services will be held at the Herman-Kinn-Veh Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Gibsonburg on Saturday, September 6, 2014. Visitation will begin at 11am, and funeral services at 1pm. Vicar Erin Burns will be officiating. Interment will follow at the Gibsonburg Union Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Esther requested donations be made to one of her favorite charities: the Aiken Area Red Cross, the St. Paul Lutheran Church Choir Fund, the Aiken Council on Aging, and the Luther Home of Mercy, Oak Harbor.