Mary Esther Skousen Ray Tenny

This was in Esther’s Book of Remembrance on her Personal Record page.(Spelling and punctuation are updated)

I started to school when 6 years old and only went far as the 8th grade or 8th reader. Then I went to work to help out at home. I was next to the youngest in a family of eight children. I did not want to go away from school, but my dear Father said “You know enough to be a good mother”. He believed in young marriages as he had often told me. I remember well how he made me look forward to being a wife and mother. In my thoughts I dreamed, as we girls often do, of my “Prince Charming” and prayed no mistakes would be made. So I gave up my schooling and went to work to help out at home as I did love my parents very much and had trust in their knowing just what was right for me, but I had way back in my mind - school. That was only in the school of hard knocks. I tried to forget my dream of going to school. I studied and read all I could and went on trusting in my faith and in my Heavenly Father working it out for me. Did He? I will let you know before I get through.

I worked here and there in homes in Alpine, in St. Johns, in Springerville, in Thatcher, all in Arizona. I worked for Stewarts, for McFates, Andersons, Lesuerues and others in Alpine; then in Thatcher there were the Wilkins, Robinsons, and others. I had fun as I worked and made hosts of friends wherever I went and now I meet people I have worked for and with and they all call me friend. I am so grateful and love all my friends and I hope I have no enemies. If I do, I don’t know it. Oh yes, there are those that like others better than I, but they talk to me and I do love to talk and I do love people.