Esther K. Proffitt, 98, of Seneca, Kansas, died Sunday morning, August 22, 2021, at the Life Care Center of Seneca.

Esther was born on April 1, 1923 in Seneca, to John M. and Helen Koehler. She attended St. Peter and Paul’s Catholic School, graduating in 1941. Esther attended night school for two years in Kansas City, Missouri.

In the year of 1950, Esther married Clifford B. Buss in San Antonino, Texas; he died in May of 1955. She married William J. Proffitt in the year of 1957; they celebrated 33 years of marriage before his death in 1990.  Esther was employed at International Harvesters in Kansas City, Missouri for five years prior to her employment for Standard District in San Antonio, Texas. She returned to Seneca and bought and operated the Seneca Bowling Alley for 15 years before she sold it and retired. For a year she took a part time job working as the office assistant for Dr. Dan David.

Esther cherished her family and her faith.  She was a lifelong member of Sts. Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church, St. Ann’s Altar Society, the Hospital Communion Minister and served as a Lay Communion Minister for 35 years.  She was a past-President of the Hospital Guild and was Manager of the Hospital Gift Shop for five years. She was an E.M.T. for the City of Seneca for eight years, was appointed to the Seneca Planning Commission for five years and was honored as a distinguished graduate from Sts. Peter and Paul School in 2010.  She enjoyed reading, fishing, loved to playing cards (bridge) and thoroughly enjoyed her bowling career, earning 1^st place in the 1966 State Singles Bowling Tournament.

Esther was preceded in death by her parents, John and Helen Koehler; brothers, Leonard Koehler, Jim Koehler, Abbott Ralph Koehler, OSB, Ron Koehler and Raymond Koehler; and sisters, Rita Broderick and Mary Helen Lear.

Survivors include her children, John (Laurel) Proffitt, of KauKauna Wisconsin, Terri (Chris) Pickering of Topeka and Rebecca Proffitt of Topeka; one sister, Barb Buckley of Prairie Village, Kansas; five grandchildren; and 5 great grandchildren.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, August 27, 2021 at 11 A.M. at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca. The rosaries will be at 2 and 7 P.M. at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca, on Thursday, August 26^th. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Memorials may be given to Sts. Peter and Paul’s Church or School and/or the Nemaha County Historical Society in Seneca.