Esther Ruth Whalen, Oklee, MN, age 93, died on December 27, 2012 at her rural Oklee residence. Mass of Christian burial will be held on Monday, December 31, 2012 at 10:30 AM in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Oklee with Father Chuck Huck Officiating and Deacon John Bruggeman. Visitation will be held on Sunday, December 30, 2012 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Oklee from 5 - 8 PM with a 7:00 PM prayer service and rosary. Burial will be held in the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Cemetery at Plummer, MN. Esther Ruth Whalen was born May 30, 1919 at Bellingham, MN, the daughter of the late Richard and Emma (Stromswold) Bluemke, and the second of four children. At the age of 2 years she moved with her parents to Red Lake County and settled near Plummer, MN. At the age of seven they moved to a farm in Garnes Township where she grew up and attended rural school. Esther graduated from Oklee High school in 1936 and went on to teacher training in Thief River Falls, she taught in several area rural schools. On June 27, 1939 she was united in marriage to George Whalen at Oklee, MN. The couple lived in Terrebonne for a time. Esther went back to School at Bemidji State College in Bemidji, MN and received her teaching degree. The couple purchased a farm North of Oklee where she lived her entire life. Esther taught from 1958 until her retirement in the spring of 1980. She was recognized as outstanding teacher of the year in 1978. George passed away March 15, 1999. Esther loved to paint, was an avid reader, enjoyed gardening and her flower garden, crossword puzzles, sewing and baking. She was a member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in the Guild and also the teachers association. She is survived by her children, Mike Whalen of Thief River Falls, MN; Angie (Dean) Radniecki of Proctor, MN; Tim (Linda) Whalen of Oklee, MN and Greg (Deb) Whalen of Oklee, MN: 19 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and numerous great-great grandchildren. Sons-in-law, Jerry Johnson of Thief River Falls, MN and Duane Carriere of Seattle, WA; sisters-in-law, Alice Bluemke of Oklee and Lucille Bluemke of Grand Forks, ND, and many nieces and nephews. Esther is preceded in death by her parents Richard and Emma; husband George; children Sharon Carriere and Joyce Johnson; daughter-in-law Sandy Whalen; two grandsons Tom Whalen and Terry Berggren; two brothers, Harold Bluemke and Robert Bluemke, and one sister, Betty Reed.