Dorchester Times: Jeanine (Kasl) Essman Funeral Saturday, 2 P.M.

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Jeanine (Kasl) Essman Funeral Saturday, 2 P.M.

Dorchester native and DHS graduate Jeanine “Jean” Joyce Essman, daughter of Bob and Marva (Hayek) Kasl, was born January 3, 1961 in Crete, Nebraska. She passed away July 6 at her home in Lincoln with her family by her side. She was beloved by all she touched, especially by her husband Paul and their children Andrew Kasl and Samantha Lena. Jean was a farm girl who knew she wanted to be a teacher like her mom from the start. Although the majority of her students were pre-school special education, many of them would recognize her years later and call out “Miss Jean!” when they saw her. Jean enjoyed spending time with her family and attending Andrew’s and Samantha’s many activities. Before her passing, she loved being part of both children’s weddings and helping to find their first homes. She was a special aunt and great aunt to her nieces and nephews.

Jean was confirmed in the Dorchester Methodist Church and later joined St. Mark’s Methodist Church in Lincoln. She went to Dorchester schools and graduated with the class of 1979. After graduating from Kearney State College in 1983, she taught special education in Kansas for two years, and later received her Master’s Degree from Doane College. Jean then continued to teach in Lincoln for 23 years. She was a member of the Dorchester Legion Auxiliary and the ZCBJ Tabor Lodge for over 50 years. She was very proud of her Czech heritage and she worked with 4-H and youth activities. Jean enjoyed gardening and she loved to read. She was always there to support and take care of those in need.

Jean is survived by her husband Paul Essman (32 years), children Andrew (Natalie) Essman of Eagle and Samantha (Christopher) Hobelman of Waverly, parents Bob and Marva Kasl, sisters Sandy (Chuck) Rains and Judy (Mark) Bors, and sister-in-law Sheri Kasl, all of Dorchester, father-in-law Roger Essman of Lincoln, sisters-in-law Lisa Essman (Mark Vucenich) of Pennsylvania and Amy Essman (Don Gentle) of Missouri, special friend Belinda Becker of Omaha, and many nieces, nephews, relatives, friends, and students. She was preceded in death by her brothers Bobby Kasl and Brad Kasl, mother-in-law Larae Essman, and grandparents George and Emma Kasl and Lumir and Evelyn Hayek.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to Project Purple, Early Childhood Programs, or Lincoln Children’s Zoo would be appreciated. Condolences may be left at trumpmemorials.com.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 14 at 2 p.m., St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 8550 Pioneers Blvd, Lincoln with Pastor Kara Hillhouse officiating. Private interment will be held at a later date. Trump Funeral Services, 1600 West “O” Street, Lincoln are handling the arrangements.

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Dorchester: A Good Little Family Town

Dorchester, Nebraska (est. population 630) is located in northern Saline county. Close in proximity to Interstate 80, Dorchester is only 25 minutes from the state capital of Lincoln (est. population 250,000) and about 55 minutes from Omaha (metro population 725,000).

Dorchester's median resident age is 37 years. In 2005, Dorchester had a median family income of approximately $35,600. The median house value was about $63,000. About 95 percent of Dorchester residents commute to work via Interstate and highways.

The village has a quality public school, which received a $4.1 million expansion and modernization in 2008; it offers a small classrooms and individualized attention. Total enrollment of grades K-12 is around 230-250 students.

Ancestries of the Dorchester area are primarily German (42.4%), Czech (24.9%), Irish (12.5%), English (5.4%), and Dutch (4.9%).

Dorchester Historical Facts

* On July 4, 1871, the railroad reached Dorchester.
* Incorporated in 1881, Dorchester's population grew from 200 to 500 by 1882.
* In 1882, Dorchester had 90 buildings, 35 of which were businesses or public facilities. Brick buildings lined both sides of Washington Avenue for two blocks.
* Dorchester's longest-running newspaper was The Dorchester Star, which was published until the late 1940s.
* By 1889, Dorchester's population is said to have reached 800, while the town housed an opera house, a two-story brick schoolhouse with a bell tower, and four churches.
* By the 1910s, Dorchester had electricity, a water tower and a fire department.
* Dorchester's main arteries, Highways 6 and 33, were graveled in the 1940s.
* Dorchester's first irrigation well was drilled on Chris Weber's farm and rural electrification was finished following WWII.

A Village with History

Dorchester is one of the "alphabet towns" on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad line built west from Lincoln. The town site was selected for its pleasant location in the northern part of Saline County, about eight miles west of Crete. This situation is an attractive one, being on the level prairie land, midway between the West Blue River and Turkey Creek. The first named stream is three miles north, and the latter about the same distance south from the town. Dorchester was platted in 1870 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Dorchester" came from either for a suburb of Boston by that name or a town in England. No one is sure. Two of the very first settlers were James Seely and Edward McIntyre, who both made Dorchester their permanent home.

Dorchester: In The Beginning

Here is a look at Dorchester around 1890, less than a decade after its official incorporation, as documented by Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska:
* POPULATION: "About 300, and is made up of a substantial and progressive class of citizens, who are moral and industrious. ... The town grew but very little until the year 1879, for the reason that Pleasant Hill, on Turkey Creek, a short distance south, was the county seat and naturally drew a trade for quite a large scope of country."
* BUSINESS: "The business and professional interests of the town are represented by three general merchandise stores, two drug, one grocery, one furniture, two hardware, and two millinery stores, one bank, two restaurants, two hotels, three livery stables, a post office, one newspaper office, two elevators, two lumber yards, two coal yards, two blacksmith shops, two lawyers and four physicians."
* SCHOOL: "The schoolhouse is a good one. The schoolhouse was built in 1872, since which time the public schools have been continually kept up. The present schoolhouse is 24' x 40' in size, two stories high. The school is graded and consists of three departments. The house is found too small, and arrangements will soon be made to increase its size."
* CHURCHES: "There are three substantial churches."
* HOMES: "The residence portion of the village is made up of neat houses of different styles of architecture, but none of them very large."
* NEWSPAPER: "The Dorchester Star, which was established August 21, 1881, by H. C. Bittenbender, who edited it until January 19, 1882, when he sold it to Ryerson & Bullock, the present proprietors. The Star is a bright weekly paper, five-column quarto, in size, and is Republican in politics."