Esther "Pat" Marie Varner

     Esther "Pat" Marie Varner, 94, of Towanda, passed away on Friday, July 10, 2026, in El Dorado, KS. Visitation will be Tuesday, July 14, 2026  from 6:00-8:00 PM at Headley Funeral Chapel, Augusta, KS. Celebration of her life will be Wednesday, July 15, 10:00 AM at First Presbyterian Church, El Dorado, KS. Cremation will follow the service with inurnment in Towanda Cemetery.

     Esther, the daughter of Merl Hassler McDowell and Ruth Elizabeth (Leet) McDowell, was born January 18, 1932 in Frenchburg, Kentucky. Esther was called Patty because some of her siblings called her “fatty” and another sibling decided Patty sounded better. It was later shortened to Pat.

     Pat moved with her family from Frenchburg to West Chester, Iowa in 1938. She attended school at West Chester, graduating high school in 1950. She received her bachelor’s degree in Education in 1954 from Sterling College in Sterling, Kansas. While at Sterling College, she made life-long friends. She taught home economics in Frenchburg, Kentucky from 1954-1957 and continued her teaching career in Towanda, Kansas from 1957-1960. While teaching at Towanda High School, she was set up on a blind date to a school dance to be a chaperone by her principal. That blind date later became her husband, Delbert Varner.

     Pat and Delbert were married July 29, 1959 at the Federated Church in West Chester, Iowa. They made their home in rural Butler County where Pat settled into the role of housewife and mother. A role that she continued to excel at for over 65 years. She also became an active member of the community with her involvement in the Extension Homemakers Units (EHU), Nokomis Club, Kansas Rural Letter Carriers Associate Auxiliary, 4-H, and the First Presbyterian Church of El Dorado, where she served many leadership roles in the Presbyterian Women’s group. Pat was also an avid wheat weaver and member of the Wichita Wheat Weavers Associations, often demonstrating her skills to local organizations.

     Although being actively involved in these organizations, her primary focus was on her husband, four children and her seven grandchildren. Pat spent many hours helping her children with homework and school projects, taking them to their activities, and raising them to reflect her Christian values. Pat also enjoyed sewing, crocheting, gardening, reading, journaling, cooking, and baking.

     In her later years, Pat enjoyed attending Rural Letter Carrier Conventions with Delbert and their friends, square dancing and spending time with her grandchildren.

     Pat continued to live on the farmstead following Delbert’s death in 2014 until she moved to Lakepoint care facility in El Dorado for the past 2 years.

     Pat’s legacy that she leaves includes her children Jeff Varner of Towanda, KS; Calvin (Carla) Varner of Towanda, KS; Debra (Paul) Rankin of Bismarck, ND; Janet Varner of Augusta, KS. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren. David (the late Kayleen) Rankin and his sons Daniel and Caleb of Bismark ND; Sarah (AJ) Torgerson and their son Arik of Bismarck, ND; Amy (Austin) Schweizer and their son Stetson of Abbyville, KS; Tara Varner of Towanda, KS; Shelby (Jared) Varner-Greenwood of Towanda, KS; Kayla Joyce of Miami Beach, FL; Tyler Joyce of Wichita, KS.

     She is preceded in death by her husband, parents, three brothers, and five sisters.

     Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, El Dorado, KS or Sterling College, Sterling, KS