Esther Louise Decker Shaw March 6, 1929 - April 25, 2023 Esther Shaw, 94, of Collins, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the Order of the Eastern Star and Masonic Home in Boone, Iowa. A private graveside service will take place in the Collins Evergreen Cemetery. Esther was born March 6, 1929, to Charles Russell (Russ) Decker and Ruth Hazel Alexander Decker in Enterprise Kansas. The only girl of five children, she is preceded in death by her husband of 71+ years, Alvis, her parents, four brothers and their spouses: Benner (Querida), Charles (Noni), Harold (Betty) and Giles (Beverly), two nephews and two nieces. She is survived by her daughter, Marla and one granddaughter, Kial Fukuda, both of Tustin, CA, and 7 nieces and nephews. Let's just say that Esther "got around"... a lot! At the age of 3 her parents moved the family to Oldsburg, KS where she attended elementary school through 7th grade. Then the family uprooted to Colfax, WA, Jerseyville, IL, Duncombe, IA and finally she graduated High School in Kalona, IA in 1947. Whew! Her family-owned lumberyards so they basically "followed the lumber demand." She was an alumni of Oklahoma A&M and attended Parsons College in Fairfield, IA, Des Moines Area Community College and Iowa State University. As the sports minded person, she was, in the late 1940's as the war was winding up, she played basketball with the All-American Red Heads for a short time. Esther met Alvis Shaw at his sister's backyard shooting range. There are perks being the only girl in a family of five. Since she was the only child that showed any interest, her Dad taught her how to hunt and fish, which were two of her favorite things to do throughout her life. Her target practicing paid off as she was Kansas State Rifle Woman Champion two years in a row, and, she whipped Dad's butt on the range. It was love at first shot. They were married December 1, 1950, in Oskaloosa, Kansas. Esther and Alvis moved to a farm in Colo, IA in 1953 after the great flood of 1951 in Perry, KS wiped them out. They heard about a farm to rent in Collins, so moved there in 1958, and finally built their "forever home" in Collins in 1980. They also enjoyed 28 winters in Tucson. She loved making jewelry, especially silver jewelry and creating glass fusion. She also loved playing mah jong and spending time with her many friends who also spent winters there from all the cold climes coast to coast and Canada. Her employment record was about as colorful as her moving adventures... summers during college were spent waitressing at her Aunt and Uncle's restaurant in Okoboji, IA, taught in a one room school for Jefferson County Kansas Schools, worked at Hercules Powder Plant in Sunflower, KS and retired after 29 years in veterinary research at the Animal Disease Lab in Ames. She is listed in Who's Who in American Women in Science as the first self-taught woman in the U.S. to run an electron microscope, discovered a cure for feline distemper, and was on the board to outlaw the surgery on horses to make them Tennessee Walking Horses. Esther was a member of the Collins Methodist Church where she served on the church Trustee's Board, a 66+ year member of the Order of Eastern Star where she served as Worthy Matron many times and Past Worthy Grand Martha for the State of Iowa and a member of Cedar Rapids Daughters of the Nile. She also served as Chairman of the Collins Zoning Board. Esther and Alvis were always busy whether it was square dancing, golfing, hiking, camping, visiting all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and Europe, or cruising. There were annual summer trips to Leech Lake, Minnesota with three to four other local families where the adults got up at o'dark hundred to go fishing and the kids slept in until afternoon water skiing time. Who even knows how many games of cribbage, Mexican dominos and 500 were played over the years ending with the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat. She received excellent care at the Order of the Eastern Star Masonic Home in Boone. She created a somewhat fun life for herself with the help of her great Care Team during the seven months she was there. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the family so they can be distributed to local organizations. Fredregill Funeral & Cremation Care has been entrusted with the care of Esther and her family. Esther will be tremendously missed by her family and many, many friends.