Columbia, MO: Esther Joan Moulthrop Muench Plonk died July 31, 2026, at The Neighborhoods, a nursing home in Columbia, Mo., after a long battle with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.
She was born July 2, 1940, in Kansas City, Mo., the daughter of Roscoe Emmett Moulthrop Jr. and Esther Burton Moulthrop. Shortly afterward, her family moved to Bethany, Mo., where she grew up and graduated in 1958 from Southwest Harrison High School. Her father was a prominent attorney, and “Esther Jo,” as she was known, often helped with office work and research at the courthouse.
In 1962, she earned a bachelor’s degree in history and office management from Lindenwood College. She met her future husband, Laurence Walter Muench, a medical student at Washington University, while he visited Lindenwood with a friend. She slipped in her high heels and fell down the front steps of Sibley Hall into his arms –a catch made in heaven.
Married in June 1962, they soon headed to Okinawa, where Larry served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. Esther took classes in Japanese language, history and customs and would later give presentations about Okinawa to civic groups. Returning from overseas In 1966, they moved to St. Louis. While Larry completed a medical residency at Washington University, she began a pre-school in the basement of her apartment building that served about 20 children including her son.
Larry’s career as an anesthesiologist then led the family to live in several cities: Denver; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Sioux City, Iowa; Kansas City (Leawood, Kan.); and Kings Mountain, N.C.
Esther had three children, all of whom survive her: James (Fran) Muench, of Columbia, Mo., born in Okinawa; Jennifer (Neill) Laney, of Franklinton, N.C., born in St. Louis; and Jeffrey (Venetia) Muench, of Greensboro, N.C., born in Colorado Springs; in addition to her “adopted” daughter Ǻsa Nord (Tomas), an exchange student, of Lynköping, Sweden. Esther is also survived by her twin sisters Jean (Bruce) Wolff, of St. Louis, and Jeannette (Bob) Babyok, of Charlottesville, Va. Her brother, Roscoe E. Moulthrop III, died in 2013.
Survivors also include six grandchildren: Nolan Muench, April Muench, Joann Laney (Coda) Hensley, Kristen Laney, Devin Muench and Zack Muench. Esther loved being a grandmother, making a point to bring an interesting craft or recipe to enjoy with grandchildren when she visited. There are also five step-children: Carole Fenimore Haas Gravagno, Peggy Pollack (Ken), George Webb Plonk Jr. (Judy), Barbara Bridges (Bill) and Becky Loftin (Bill), along with a multitude of step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Three years after Larry Muench died in May 2001 at age 64, she married George Webb Plonk Sr., a surgeon and former colleague of Larry. Esther loved to ride horses, and in George, she found a fellow horseman. Esther lived in Kings Mountain until 2022, when George died at age 103. She then moved to Columbia, Mo., to be nearer to family.
People saw Esther as a natural leader and organizer, and they tended to elect her president of every group. Extremely active in her children’s activities, she served as president or board member of the Parent-Teacher associations in each of the communities where she lived. A lifetime Girl Scout herself, she was a leader for both the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.
She was president of her college alumni club and the local chapters of PEO, the American Field Service, and the American Association of University Women. She served as president of the Kings Mountain Women’s Club for years, receiving clubwoman of the year award at least twice, and was president of the North Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs Inc.
She was a parliamentarian, a hospital volunteer, and the family historian who could not bear to drive past a historical marker without reading it. She loved to read, having served as editor of her high school and college newspapers, and filled her home with newspapers, magazines and books. She thought it important to keep learning, taking classes in accounting at Cleveland Community College and working toward a master’s degree in business administration at Pfeiffer College.
She was a patron of music, art and theatre wherever she lived, volunteering with various artistic organizations. She served as president of the Kings Mountain Little Theatre and president of the Magnolia Garden Club, for which she enjoyed winning prizes for her flower arrangements.
She took piano lessons and played clarinet in high school, took voice lessons, and later sang in choirs at Morningside College, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, and the Gaston Choral Society. She encouraged her children to learn music, taking them to violin, piano and trombone lessons.
After managing medical offices, her crowning professional achievement came when she was named the first Executive Director of the Kings Mountain Historical Museum Foundation in October 2001. Originally housed in the attic at City Hall, the museum had only been open for a year in its current home, the town’s former Post Office.
Having grown up a Methodist, she joined the Episcopal church with Larry and eventually served on the vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church in Kings Mountain. She joined Resurrection Lutheran Church after marrying George Plonk, and they became founding members of Advent Lutheran Church. She joined Trinity Presbyterian Church in 2022 after moving to Columbia, Mo.
She was a unique spirit and a community driver who made friends wherever she went. A memorial service and reception for Esther Muench Plonk will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1600 W. Rollins Road, Columbia, MO 65203. The service will be live streamed and available for viewing on the church’s website.
Memorial donations are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Advent Lutheran Church, the Girl Scouts of the USA, or Scouting America.
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