Esther Kellner (1908–1998) was an author, animal lover, and director of Wayne County, Indiana Civil Defense. She was born in New Lisbon, Indiana and graduated from Morton High School in Richmond, Indiana in 1926. She began her writing career at age 20 as editor of a children's magazine, Play Mate. She wrote seventeen books, both fiction and nonfiction, including: The Devil and Aunt Serena, Moonshine: Its History and Folklore, and The Background of the Old Testament.