This may have no bearing on your Esser family, but I thought I'd pass it on. I discovered it just prior to reading your post when I was looking for Essers in Chicago.

1930 census of Chicago, Illinois: Ward 50, Block 61:

Esser, Leonard Head, widower, age 57, born Germany, soliciter, arrived in US, 1902, age 26 at time of marriage.

Esser, Edwin, Son, single, age 17, born Illinois, father from Germany, mother from Illinois