Esther (Stollery) Druckenmiller

Esther Stollery Druckenmiller, a 94-year-old former resident of Trenton, MO, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at Stonebridge Living Center in Chillicothe.

Friends and family are invited to celebrate Esther’s life at a viewing on Monday, June 1st from 6:00 to 7:00pm at the Resthaven Mortuary of Trenton, 310 N Highway 65. Funeral and burial services will be the next day, Tuesday, June 2nd at 2:00 p.m., also at Resthaven Mortuary with burial in Resthaven Memorial Gardens of Trenton.

Esther was born February 22, 1932, in Chatham, NJ, to William Henry and Leanora Grace Darrah Stollery. Creative from an early age, Esther was a self-taught artist who prided herself on sharing her talents with neighbors, friends, and family. After graduating from Chatham High School , she worked at Bell Labs and soon married the love of her life, Theodore Edgar (Ted) Druckenmiller on August 25, 1956. Together they raised six children: Sharon, Bruce, Jim, Gwenyth, Garth, and John, going on many adventures in the United States and overseas and encouraging each child to pursue their own interests and talents.

After Ted retired from Foster Wheeler, he and Esther chose to settle in Trenton in the early 2000s when Ted completed some engineering consulting work at the local ConAgra facility. They made Trenton their home and vowed to serve their new community in whatever way they could. Esther and Ted supported many causes and activities in the area including supporting the restoration of the William P. Thomson House, volunteering and donating items to the Grundy County Historical Museum, lending a hand for the 2018 celebration of Trenton’s Sesquicentennial (150th Anniversary), and as members of Trenton’s Antique Study Club and Master Gardeners’ Club.

Esther was always happy to share her talents as an artist, decorator, and knowledgeable collector of antiques. She cut freehand silhouettes of her friends and family, painted intricate images of animals and nature on slate and rocks, drew pictures of Trenton’s courthouse for the town, and was commissioned to create paintings of the houses and pets of many local community members, often free-of-charge. Several galleries in New Jersey represented her unique artistic offerings.

Born with a love of socializing, Esther also was an avid volunteer at the Church Women’s United Thrift Store alongside her sister, Barbara Lindsay, and readily helped out with Meals on Wheels for the town senior center. Both she and Ted were very involved in their churches in both New Jersey and Missouri. She was outgoing and could make a friend out of a stranger in a moment. She formed many lasting friendships with people of different backgrounds and ages, always offering encouragement or a helping hand when needed.

Ted passed away in June 2019 after he and Esther celebrated 62 years of marriage the previous August. Esther continued to be involved in the community until her own health issues prevented her from doing so. In October of 2024, she moved out of her beloved home and enjoyed her final years at Stonebridge Living Center, amusing and supporting staff and other residents with her quick wit and her helpful nature.

Esther is survived by her six children and their spouses, 34 grandchildren (and 27 spouses), and 51 great-grandchildren for a grand total of 112 descendant family members. She is predeceased by her husband, Ted, and her siblings Edith Clark, Janet Hatton, Barbara Lindsey, Joan Mulberger, and William Stollery, Jr.

The family asks that any donations in Esther’s honor be made to Meals on Wheels.

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