Hester Wilson (known as Ester with no "H" most of her adult life) was born in 1832 probably in Ohio. She was the daughter of William S. Wilson, an Irish immigrant sailor, and his wife Hester Ramsey. Ester grew up in Fulton County, Illinois on he r parent's farm with 7 brothers and sisters. The Heath family had settled in Fulton County in 1836 and it was here that Ester met John Heath.
They were married in February 1852 and moved to Marshall County for several years. In the early 160's the family moved to McDonough County where John's father and his brothers had moved. John and Ester had a large families and began to look for mo re wide open opportunities.
A relative of John's, Harrison Stearns had moved to Butler County, Kansas in early 1868. Easter and John moved their family in late 1868 to Towanda Twp, Butler County, Kansas. Two more children were born in Kansas as the family homesteaded a 160 a cre farm near the Whitewater Creek.
The family worked the hard life of pioneers and grappled with many difficulties. Two sons died in the early 1880s about two years apart from pneumonia. John was seriously injured in 1890 and he died in 1892.
Shortly thereafter Ester moved in with her youngest Maud. She never recovered from John's death and died in 1894 from an opium habit according to Dr. Koogler's notes in county records.