Hester Ladner

Newspaper clipping describing Hester Ladner as a military policeman.

Hester Ladner was born on March 29, 1920, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi to Sylvan (Jack) Ladner and Ellen Elizabeth Wainwright. He married Josephine Geis on January 24, 1942. By the end of that year their first son, Hester Kenneth, was born. They went on to have ten other children Carol Diane, Gerald Henry, Karen Ann, Wayne Robert, JoEllen Dale, Roy Brent, Barbara Sue, Barry Louis, Bryan Keith, and Terrell Edward.

Hester was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at the age of eight on April 8, 1928.

Hester died August 17, 1981, and was buried in the Bayou LaCroix Cemetery.

Hester Ladner as a teenager.

Hester Ladner in 1972 in front of the house in Lakeshore, MS, that his sons built.

Hester Ladner in Lakeshore, MS, 1972.

Bryan Ladner sitting next to his grandfather Hester Ladner's headstone in the Bayou LaCroix cemetery, October 2005. Bryan was born the same day Hester died, August 17, 1981.

Wage leger for Hester Ladner.

Death certificate for Hester Ladner.

Obituary for Hester Ladner published in The Daily Herald, Biloxi-Gulfport, Miss., Thursday August 20, 1981.

Memories

Hester's son, Gerry, shared the following memory:

Back when we were all young my dad would take us hunting and fishing. I can remember the time we were hog hunting with his dog Sarge. We were in Bayou LaCroix on Mr. Crump’s land and we came upon a big hog that nobody had been able to catch. We were out in the marsh when here comes Sarge with the hog hanging onto him. There were no trees to climb so I had to dive into the bayou. The temperature was about 18 degrees. Sarge finally did get the hog that we took to Pappy’s house. He built a fire in the wood stove to help thaw me out.

Sarge also played another role. Daddy chained Sarge on the front porch with a length of chain just long enough so that someone visiting could make it to the front door and be just slightly out of reach of the attacking Sarge. I remember when my sister Diane was dating Jordan Bradford. Every time Jordan came to the house, Sarge would try to get him.