A Brief Life History of Mary Esther Skousen As written by her daughter, Dorothy Freeman
My Mother, Mary Esther Skousen was born May 10, 1887 at Springerville, Arizona. She was the seventh child of Jens Niels Skousen and Anna Hansen. When mother was 5 years of age, the family moved to Alpine. So that they could get an early start the next morning Grandma Anna gave all the children their baths the night before and braided all of the little girl’s hair. Alpine was just 25 miles from Springerville, but even with an early start it took all day for them to make the journey by wagon, as they took along their cows and some extra horses. Grandma was always a cripple and had to walk on crutches, but she took wonderful care of her children just the same.
When the children went to school they used to walk through the cemetery as a short cut. Grandma and Grandpa Skousen are buried in that same cemetery. It is a hallowed place to my Mother and she loves to visit them there.
My Mother was schooled only until she had completed the eighth grade. There wasn’t a high school in Alpine and no buses to transport students as now. So Mother started working for different people when she was needed.Aunt Ella had moved to Mexico and then just a little later Aunt Eliza moved there too. So my mother went to visit her sisters in Mexico. She said she was only going for a visit, but a young man came into her life and she changed her mind.
Grandpa Skousen had always taught his girls that when a young man asked for their hand in marriage they should ask themselves if he would be a good father for their children. Also that they should make it a matter of prayer. So after doing as her father had taught her, on September 23, 1906 my father, James Wilford Ray, Jr. and Mother were married in Mexico and then went to Salt Lake City and were sealed in the Temple there October 3, 1906. My mother had put her care into the keeping of a wonderful man and they were happy together.
Their first son Clinton D. was born October 24, 1907 in Colonia Juarez, Mexico. On September 23, 1909, their third wedding anniversary, their second son Wilford was born.
Little Wilford and my Father both got the measles in March 1911. Complications of what was then called brain fever and what I think is now called Meningitis, set in and little Wilford lingered 17days. My father was delirious all the while that the baby was so sick. He didn’t know even when the baby died on the 28th of March. The only flowers that they had at the funeral was a little handful of wild flowers that Clinton placed there for his little brother.
Two weeks from the day little Wilford died my Father regained consciousness. He was sick and weak for many months from the close call with death he had had.
My parents’ first daughter was born 23, 1911, on what would have been little Wilford’s second birthday and my Mother and Father’s fifth wedding anniversary.
In August of 1912theywere driven out of their home in Mexico by Mexican rebels in an uprising that was taking place at that time. The Government provided tents for them to live in Douglas, Arizona.
In October 1912 my Mother and two babies went home to Alpine to visit. They got there the same day that Grandpa Skousen was buried, too late for the funeral. Communications and transportation were so different then and now.
In January 1913 , my Father had found a place to live and some work in Tucson, so Mother and the children went to him. In June 1913, they moved to Mesa. On May 7, 1914, their third son James Walter was born. On October 7, 1916, I, Dorothy, their second daughter was born. My Mother wanted to name me Ruth, but my Father wanted me named Dorothy for his Grandmother Mortensen. On July 2, 1918, Richard Hyrum was born. Shortly afterward we moved into our own home on 20 acres of land that my Father had bought. This was the home in which we all grew up in.
On the 22nd of October 1919, my Father had an attack of appendicitis. He didn’t think it was serious and wouldn’t call a Doctor. After suffering for two days, he was operated on for appendicitis on Clinton’s twelfth birthday. But his appendix had burst and gangrene had set in. He lived for 17 days and passed away on the ninth of November, 1919, leaving my Mother with five small children, the youngest only a year old and Clinton, the oldest, only twelve years old.
From then on it was quite a struggle financially for my darling mother. What we lacked in material things she gave to us in an abundance of love and understanding. We were always a happy, contented family; very close to each other through our love.
Clinton was always a wonderful son to our Mother. He helped her to shoulder what responsibility one so young could. To us younger children he was always so wonderful that we truly worshipped him, as did our Mother.
At the time of my Father’s death, Mary was an invalid with heart trouble. She had been ill since she was five years old. She lived until December 21, 1920 and then joined her father. How heavy the load was that my Mother was called to shoulder alone. We were all so young that we were not much help to her. We just kept her so busy that she didn’t have time to think too much about her sorrow.
Mother married again three years after my Father died. On September 21, 1920, Charles was born. Mother’s second marriage didn’t work out as she had hoped, but she was truly blessed with this fine son it had given to her and we all loved him dearly. He is just as close to us as any of the other children.
While Clinton was trying to get through High School, we leased our 20 acres and moved into town so Mother and Clinton could both work. Mother took in washings, did laundry at the High School, did the top floor janitor work at the Franklin School, nursed or anything else she could do. Clinton drove bus, played football and was picked All-State Guard. He made it through High School in 3 years and only missed Salutatorian by one point. He as Arizona State Bicycle Champion for five years, too. He went to Louisville, Kentucky one year to compete in the National Races. He came in third in one race. If he could have gone in some of his later championship years, he probably would have made a good showing.
When we did the janitor work at the Franklin School, Clinton would drive his bus route, hurry back to practice football and then sprint down to the Franklin School to help Mother finish up. He usually there in time to sweep the big long hall. Mother washed towels all day long at the High School and then cleaned 20 big rooms after school. We would have to walk there early in the morning and do the dusting of all the desks, etc., then Mother would walk back to the high school and wash all day. Next she would walk back to Franklin and do the cleaning. Then she would walk home. She had such calluses on her poor feet that she could hardly stand it. I can remember rubbing her feet with salve and how she would tell me how good my soft little hands felt on her tired feet. We all had our jobs in helping Mother after school with the janitor work. The little boys emptied waste baskets, etc, and James and I helped sweep rooms, dust, etc.
While my Mother was so busy struggling to make ends meet, the Bishop called her to be Primary President. She was such a good President that her Primary was the Banner Primary of the Stake for two years while she was in as President. She had to have Primary on Friday after school as she could then clean her school rooms on Saturday. How many of us would work such long hours and still serve so diligently in the work of the Lord?
Mother could always find someone who was not as well of as she was and she was always giving them a hand. I remember one time she was sending some canned fruit over to a widow lady who lived a few blocks away. I was taking it on my bicycle and I dropped it and broke it. When I came back and told Mother what I had done, she just went in and got some more and I took that. She could always count her blessings and find that she had so many more than someone else that she could help. I know now that my mothers service to others has been her greatest source of joy.
The Lord really blessed my Mother with good health. She would not have been able to do all of the hard work that she had to do if he had not. She was always cheerful and if ever she felt bad we never knew about it. I am sure that she had many days when she went to work ill, but never let us know. Sometimes she would wonder where the next meal for her children was coming from and someone would bring her a washing or in some way she would be blessed. She was never on relief, either on the Church or the State. She always paid a strict tithe and knew that the Lord would bless her to do the thing she was called on to do.
After Clinton finished high school, we moved back to the ranch and lived there until we all grew up. After Clinton, James and I were married, Mother sent Richard on a mission in the North Central States. Before his release, he was made District President. He made a good missionary and thus repaid my Mother for her sacrifice. She was earning $65.00 a month by working in the school cafeteria and she sent him $35.00 a month. So don’t ask me how she made ends meet, but she kept him there and she and Charles got along some how. Charles was still in school too.
In April 1944, after the accidental death of Aunt Annie, Mother and Uncle Ben Tenny were married in the Mesa Temple (for time only). Aunt Annie had always told Uncle Ben that if anything ever happened to her , she wasn’t well for many years, that she wanted him to go and take care of Esther as she had had to work so hard all of her life. He had truly cared for her and we all love him as our Father. They were both Temple Workers in the Mesa Temple and are very happy with their love and companionship. It is very fitting that the last part of my Mother’s life should be so rich and full, as she sacrificed and gave her all to her children for so many years.
I am truly grateful to my Father in Heaven that he sent my spirit to such goodly parents. In paying tribute to my Mother I can only say, “God grant that I maybe half as good a mother to my children as mine has been to me and then my children can rise up and call me blessed.”
My Mother now has 4 sons, one daughter, 23grandchildren, one not living, and 4 great grandchildren to love and cherish her.

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.

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