Eulogy of Esther Banks Pitman
By her niece Janene Banks Littlejohn
I am touched that I was asked to write the eulogy of Esther Banks Pitman.
On March 1, 1918, Esther Banks, was born in Rigby, Idaho. She was the third child of Burtrude and Luceil Duerden Banks. Her two older siblings were Willard born in 1915 and Alice born in 1916. Sadly Alice passed away when she was three months old, from pneumonia so Grandma and Grandpa were a little over-protective of Esther having just lost an infant. This was even more so, when as a toddler, Esther contracted polio. Grandma and Grandpa spent hours massaging her legs with oil to counteract the paralysis from that disease. Gladly, Esther made a full recovery and was able to walk, however one leg always remained shorter than the other so she never had to take physical education in school and rarely participated in any kind of sports. (Many of us do remember her try at the three-legged race at the Lake Nacimiento family reunion!) Her first few years were spent in Idaho and Utah and when she was 10 they relocated to Southern California. She would talk about the five day drive as being hard and long, because of having to stop every 50 miles or so to repair flat tires. She always told me that she was embarrassed because Uncle Norman's potty chair was tied to the side of the car (he was in the process of learning to use it at the time!) As a girl she learned to play the violin, and acted in school plays. She also participated in Mutual and other church activities. She graduated from Garfield High School and later attended Southwestern University Business School. She worked at an auto dealership, Taylor Rae, Bethlehem Steel, Chrysler Corporation and finally for 34 years at 3M Company. She met James Sherman Pitman, who everyone called Fritz, in January 1938, while waiting at a bus stop. Recognizing a girl on the other end of the bench and in an effort to flirt with the other girl, he came up and kicked the bench, which knocked Aunt Esther off. Uncle Fritz apologized, and asked her if she wanted to read the funny papers. The next day, he drove up to the bus stop and offered her a ride home. She said that she was a little leery because at the time he introduced himself as Jimmy Brooks, but when she met his family half of them called him Sherman and the other half called him Fritz. His other alias was James Pitman (which was his legal last name.) He perservered, and they were married on New Year's Eve that same year and enjoyed 54 years together until he passed away, April 1, 1993. For the past 20 years, she has lived in Northern California with her brother, my father, Burt Banks. She passed away at home at 4:08 in the morning with Aunt Mildred holding her hand, on Thursday, August 29, 2013 at the age of 95.
Uncle Leon and Uncle Bobby decided that I knew her better than anyone else, which I doubt is true and asked me to write and deliver this eulogy. I think that since everyone here had an opportunity to spend time with her, so you probably knew her pretty well, too. Several years ago, when we were compiling the Dureden Family History, I worked with Aunt Esther to put together her personal history. Most of what she originally recounted in her history was about Uncle Fritz. I had a hard time pulling tidbits of information out of her. I reworked the history she had written to make it include more about her. I guess I never realized Aunt Esther was very private and rather shy.
If you spent time with Aunt Esther you know that she loved to play games. One summer while staying in Southern California, Aunt Esther and I went to a mother-daughter activity at Church. There were lots of games and activities. We (mostly Aunt Esther) knew the answers to all the games and would have won all of them, however after the first wins few we decided to just fudge it, and let others have a chance to win! Aunt Esther's favorite tv shows were the game shows, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, but anyone who stayed with Aunt Esther and Uncle Fritz would attest to the fact that in the evening after dinner, you did not sit-around and watch tv, you sat-around and played games: Boggle, Kismet, Yahtzi, Rummicube, and of course Scrabble. She would say that game playing was really a passion of Uncle Fritz's, but even after he died, she continued the tradition. When Aunt Ardis and Allan or Aunt Mildred or Uncle Bobby, would come visit, she would pull out the Scrabble game and they would play. We would play at our home, too, however my son James was the only person who could give her a run for her money. The only time I ever won a Scrabble game played with Aunt Esther was a few months ago when she was in the hospital. I needed the advantage of feeling good and having good eyesight to win that game (hers was limited the last few years after her stroke and heart attack). She had crossword puzzle books all over the house, living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, which she would work on when there were commercials on tv! She had dozens of books in her bed which she would sit up and read all night. One thing we can learn from Aunt Esther is that you must keep your mind active.
Aunt Esther loved creating. She and Uncle Fritz would take art and painting classes at night, which were fun, since they would go out for dessert afterwards. They were part of a square dancing group. I never saw them dance, but I remember the beautiful costumes she would wear. When there moved to the apartment on Florence Avenue, she took swimming lessons for the first time in her life so she could swim in the pool. She was a beautiful seamstress. We often would consult together on sewing projects. She loved to knit and crochet. She would do calligraphy and make beautiful cards. She made jewelry. Her passion for china painting continued for a few years after she moved to Northern California. We would go shopping and see something and then figure out how to make it. She had hundreds of books on how to do things: sewing, drawing and sketching, any kind of painting you could imagine: oil-water color, Chinese, and china painting, embossing, jewelry making, interior decorating, furniture refinishing, how to play games: Scrabble being one of them. Aunt Esther taught me that not only do we need to keep our mind active, but we need to always learn how to do new things.
I always had fun going on adventures with Aunt Esther and Uncle Fritz. They loved Disneyland and playing tourist in Southern California, or just going for a drive to look at the lights, walking around places like Ports-ofCall, or going to museums like the Huntington Library to look at art or in the Bay Area, the Blackhawk Auto Museum. One time after Aunt Esther moved up north she and I took my children on an adventure. We went for a ride. They kept asking us, "Where are we going?" possibly because I never took them in the car without an agenda, you know school, sports, music lessons, church. We kept reassuring them that we were going for a ride, an adventure. We ended up in a little town called Sunol where we explored the historic sites. We then drove around until we came to another little town called Niles. Just as we were about to go home, James spotted an antique store, which we stopped in. I loved watching the kids look at all the old gadgets and listen to Aunt Esther explain to them how each one was used. It was a great day and she helped me remember that going on an adventure just exploring was something we should not ever forget to do. You don't always need an agenda, adventures are a good thing.
Aunt Esther was a great cook. I never realized how hard cooking for two people was until I had my children and realized it is usually easier to make more food, but she could make almost anything. Of course she worked full time for over 40 years of her life but she would come home and still cook dinner. On the first night Uncle Fritz was home from the war she made him chipped-beef on toast (I guess it was a war-time favorite!) It must have been a military-cook-favorite too, because that was the one meal Uncle Fritz complained about and asked her never to cook again. I don't remember her using tons of convenience foods. I loved her pot roast, macaroni and cheese – not from a box, and her wonderful desserts. When she moved up north we would have Sunday dinners together. When Lance's mom was still alive, the group included my family of five, Burt and Esther, Lance's mom Cleo, Cleo's friend Bob and for the last ten years of Cleo's life, her caregiver, which would make at least 10 people, plus anyone else we would invite over to join us. Aunt Esther would make the dessert. Sometimes it was a cake from a box, but most of the time it was something she just "thought up." I know she enjoyed watching cooking shows on tv and probably got some inspiration from those, but I loved her experiments, things like toffee cookies made from a not so perfect batch of toffee. Besides learning how to cook, I learned another important lesson in the kitchen from Aunt Esther. There is a place for everything. She said that when we set the table, you included forks, knives and spoons, however when we bussed the table, anything placed on the table was washed even if it wasn't used. We would do the dishes, wash, dry and carefully put things away. The silverware was placed neatly in the drawer. You not only dried the dishes, but you dried the dish drainer and tray. Everything was put away. The dish towel and rag were hung to dry, not draped over the top of the faucet. A few years ago, at my home, Aunt Esther and I were bussing the table, and I spotted her slipping un-used silverware into the drawer. I joked with her about it and reminded her of the lesson she taught me years ago!
Even though she loved to cook she also liked to go out and eat. I'm sure this was something that rubbed off from Uncle Fritz. We all have fun memories of eating out with them. Michael loved the spaghetti place. Bobby and Jeanette loved going the Chris and Pits BBQ. The cousins all loved ice cream at Farrell's or pie at Foxy's or Marie Callandar's I will never forget the night Aunt Esther, Uncle Fritz, Kathleen and I were eating dinner at Ports-of-Call. Kathy said something about loving pickles, so Uncle Fritz ordered her a side of pickles! Each morning after Aunt Esther retired, she would cook Uncle Fritz, a healthy breakfast. (And then he would go "Run Errands" and go out for breakfast- you know for his ham and eggs.) She always knew where he was going and finally she said that one day she asked him, "So how was your breakfast?" She said he had a funny look on his face and he knew she had caught him. She finally caved in and started to accompany him on his daily breakfast runs. I always liked to watch her order: bacon crisp, toast dark and dry. She was this exact in other ways too. All of her belongings were organized and in careful order. She would joke that one time she went to the storage unit she and Uncle Fritz had and laughed when she saw that he had painted and neatly labeled several boxes with the work "Junk." I don't think she realized it but she was very orderly too. You need to be precise.
Family and friends were important to Aunt Esther. Being the oldest girl, she did her share of tending her siblings. She told me that once when she was about 9 and still living in Provo, Grandma had to go somewhere overnight to help a family member. Grandpa was out of town working, so Grandma took the baby and left Aunt Esther home in charge of the rest of the kids. At the time they had a wood burning stove so making the morning oatmeal would be difficult. Aunt Esther said that she was a little scared, but knowing her, I know she was able to step up and handle the responsibility. After she and Uncle Fritz married, she would come over to the house on Fridays and pick up Aunt Mildred and take her home to spend the weekend with them away from the 5 teasing brothers she had to put up with during the week. She paid for Aunt Mildred's braces and violin lessons. After Grandma and Grandpa bought the plot of land on Felix Avenue in Bell Gardens, Aunt Esther went with Grandpa and bought two surplus, World War 1 army tents so the family could have somewhere to live while they built the little house (which by the way, Aunt Clarice designed). The rest of the family lived in those two 15 by 15 foot tents for three years while they built the little house on Felix Avenue. Weekly she took Grandma to the grocery store or to run errands. They would go out to eat with Grandma at least once a week. She and Uncle Fritz hosted all of the cousins at their home. No matter how many of us there were, we always felt welcome. She would tell stories and talk about each of my cousins. She had many friends, some from her school years, who she still corresponded with. Today, with computers and mobile telephones, it is much easier to keep in touch with someone, but to keep in-touch with people for over 75 years, takes some diligence and work. That shows true compassion. Twenty years ago Aunt Esther moved up to Northern California to be my dad, Burt's housemate. Originally, both she and Uncle Fritz were planning on making the move. They loved to visit my dad to putter around the house. They would come several times a year and stay for several weeks at a time. But after Uncle Fritz's death, we convinced Aunt Esther that she should still make the move. I know that it was hard for her. The cold weather did not agree with her but she looked after Burt and he looked after her. I know that the last few years were difficult, especially after her stroke and heart attack but both, my father, my family and I are grateful she made the move. Just like Grandma, she knew the names of family members young and old. She kept in touch with many and if you are the recipient of this kind of charity shown you know how important it is.
One of the last things we need to remember about Aunt Esther was that first and foremost she was a Red-Head and with that came important expectations and responsibilities, lessons which many here already know! I loved to tell people that she was a natural red head and had never dyed her hair. This was especially fun as she grew older. People would respond with a "Wow," and then lean closer to inspect her hairline. She loved to recount the time she was sitting in the waiting room of Bethlehem Steel for an interview, the western actor Leo Carrillo, walked in and commented about how much he loved her red hair, and that it was the same color as his horse! She always told me that she could not wait for her hair to go grey, which of course it never really did, so she could wear red. So the last car she bought was red- since red heads were not supposed to wear red. In the last few years, I started to buy her red clothes and she enjoyed wearing them with some reassurance that they looked beautiful. Being a red-head made Aunt Esther rather feisty- but most of the time she was able to control this feisty-ness which for anyone can be a hard thing. The members of my ward were sad to hear of her passing and commented that they loved her smile and kindness. For the past 10 years she was one of our ward's library ladies, a calling she enjoyed very much. Aunt Esther never received her endowments, but I found it interesting, that in her photographs, there were many of various temples she visited during her travels. Even though she did not express her testimony verbally, she showed it in her actions. You can be strong and feisty, but you show your love and concern for others with your actions and that is the most important lesson of all.
So in conclusion the lessons that I learned from my Aunt who I love very much and will miss very much are:
1) Not only do we need to keep our minds active, but we need to always learn how to do new things.
2) You don't always need an agenda, adventures are a good thing.
3) There is a place for everything.
4) You need to be precise.
5) Family and friends are important.
6) And the most important lesson of all: You can still be strong and independent but you show your testimony of our Savior and your love and concern for others with your actions
======
No children.
By her niece Janene Banks Littlejohn
I am touched that I was asked to write the eulogy of Esther Banks Pitman.
On March 1, 1918, Esther Banks, was born in Rigby, Idaho. She was the third child of Burtrude and Luceil Duerden Banks. Her two older siblings were Willard born in 1915 and Alice born in 1916. Sadly Alice passed away when she was three months old, from pneumonia so Grandma and Grandpa were a little over-protective of Esther having just lost an infant. This was even more so, when as a toddler, Esther contracted polio. Grandma and Grandpa spent hours massaging her legs with oil to counteract the paralysis from that disease. Gladly, Esther made a full recovery and was able to walk, however one leg always remained shorter than the other so she never had to take physical education in school and rarely participated in any kind of sports. (Many of us do remember her try at the three-legged race at the Lake Nacimiento family reunion!) Her first few years were spent in Idaho and Utah and when she was 10 they relocated to Southern California. She would talk about the five day drive as being hard and long, because of having to stop every 50 miles or so to repair flat tires. She always told me that she was embarrassed because Uncle Norman's potty chair was tied to the side of the car (he was in the process of learning to use it at the time!) As a girl she learned to play the violin, and acted in school plays. She also participated in Mutual and other church activities. She graduated from Garfield High School and later attended Southwestern University Business School. She worked at an auto dealership, Taylor Rae, Bethlehem Steel, Chrysler Corporation and finally for 34 years at 3M Company. She met James Sherman Pitman, who everyone called Fritz, in January 1938, while waiting at a bus stop. Recognizing a girl on the other end of the bench and in an effort to flirt with the other girl, he came up and kicked the bench, which knocked Aunt Esther off. Uncle Fritz apologized, and asked her if she wanted to read the funny papers. The next day, he drove up to the bus stop and offered her a ride home. She said that she was a little leery because at the time he introduced himself as Jimmy Brooks, but when she met his family half of them called him Sherman and the other half called him Fritz. His other alias was James Pitman (which was his legal last name.) He perservered, and they were married on New Year's Eve that same year and enjoyed 54 years together until he passed away, April 1, 1993. For the past 20 years, she has lived in Northern California with her brother, my father, Burt Banks. She passed away at home at 4:08 in the morning with Aunt Mildred holding her hand, on Thursday, August 29, 2013 at the age of 95.
Uncle Leon and Uncle Bobby decided that I knew her better than anyone else, which I doubt is true and asked me to write and deliver this eulogy. I think that since everyone here had an opportunity to spend time with her, so you probably knew her pretty well, too. Several years ago, when we were compiling the Dureden Family History, I worked with Aunt Esther to put together her personal history. Most of what she originally recounted in her history was about Uncle Fritz. I had a hard time pulling tidbits of information out of her. I reworked the history she had written to make it include more about her. I guess I never realized Aunt Esther was very private and rather shy.
If you spent time with Aunt Esther you know that she loved to play games. One summer while staying in Southern California, Aunt Esther and I went to a mother-daughter activity at Church. There were lots of games and activities. We (mostly Aunt Esther) knew the answers to all the games and would have won all of them, however after the first wins few we decided to just fudge it, and let others have a chance to win! Aunt Esther's favorite tv shows were the game shows, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, but anyone who stayed with Aunt Esther and Uncle Fritz would attest to the fact that in the evening after dinner, you did not sit-around and watch tv, you sat-around and played games: Boggle, Kismet, Yahtzi, Rummicube, and of course Scrabble. She would say that game playing was really a passion of Uncle Fritz's, but even after he died, she continued the tradition. When Aunt Ardis and Allan or Aunt Mildred or Uncle Bobby, would come visit, she would pull out the Scrabble game and they would play. We would play at our home, too, however my son James was the only person who could give her a run for her money. The only time I ever won a Scrabble game played with Aunt Esther was a few months ago when she was in the hospital. I needed the advantage of feeling good and having good eyesight to win that game (hers was limited the last few years after her stroke and heart attack). She had crossword puzzle books all over the house, living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, which she would work on when there were commercials on tv! She had dozens of books in her bed which she would sit up and read all night. One thing we can learn from Aunt Esther is that you must keep your mind active.
Aunt Esther loved creating. She and Uncle Fritz would take art and painting classes at night, which were fun, since they would go out for dessert afterwards. They were part of a square dancing group. I never saw them dance, but I remember the beautiful costumes she would wear. When there moved to the apartment on Florence Avenue, she took swimming lessons for the first time in her life so she could swim in the pool. She was a beautiful seamstress. We often would consult together on sewing projects. She loved to knit and crochet. She would do calligraphy and make beautiful cards. She made jewelry. Her passion for china painting continued for a few years after she moved to Northern California. We would go shopping and see something and then figure out how to make it. She had hundreds of books on how to do things: sewing, drawing and sketching, any kind of painting you could imagine: oil-water color, Chinese, and china painting, embossing, jewelry making, interior decorating, furniture refinishing, how to play games: Scrabble being one of them. Aunt Esther taught me that not only do we need to keep our mind active, but we need to always learn how to do new things.
I always had fun going on adventures with Aunt Esther and Uncle Fritz. They loved Disneyland and playing tourist in Southern California, or just going for a drive to look at the lights, walking around places like Ports-ofCall, or going to museums like the Huntington Library to look at art or in the Bay Area, the Blackhawk Auto Museum. One time after Aunt Esther moved up north she and I took my children on an adventure. We went for a ride. They kept asking us, "Where are we going?" possibly because I never took them in the car without an agenda, you know school, sports, music lessons, church. We kept reassuring them that we were going for a ride, an adventure. We ended up in a little town called Sunol where we explored the historic sites. We then drove around until we came to another little town called Niles. Just as we were about to go home, James spotted an antique store, which we stopped in. I loved watching the kids look at all the old gadgets and listen to Aunt Esther explain to them how each one was used. It was a great day and she helped me remember that going on an adventure just exploring was something we should not ever forget to do. You don't always need an agenda, adventures are a good thing.
Aunt Esther was a great cook. I never realized how hard cooking for two people was until I had my children and realized it is usually easier to make more food, but she could make almost anything. Of course she worked full time for over 40 years of her life but she would come home and still cook dinner. On the first night Uncle Fritz was home from the war she made him chipped-beef on toast (I guess it was a war-time favorite!) It must have been a military-cook-favorite too, because that was the one meal Uncle Fritz complained about and asked her never to cook again. I don't remember her using tons of convenience foods. I loved her pot roast, macaroni and cheese – not from a box, and her wonderful desserts. When she moved up north we would have Sunday dinners together. When Lance's mom was still alive, the group included my family of five, Burt and Esther, Lance's mom Cleo, Cleo's friend Bob and for the last ten years of Cleo's life, her caregiver, which would make at least 10 people, plus anyone else we would invite over to join us. Aunt Esther would make the dessert. Sometimes it was a cake from a box, but most of the time it was something she just "thought up." I know she enjoyed watching cooking shows on tv and probably got some inspiration from those, but I loved her experiments, things like toffee cookies made from a not so perfect batch of toffee. Besides learning how to cook, I learned another important lesson in the kitchen from Aunt Esther. There is a place for everything. She said that when we set the table, you included forks, knives and spoons, however when we bussed the table, anything placed on the table was washed even if it wasn't used. We would do the dishes, wash, dry and carefully put things away. The silverware was placed neatly in the drawer. You not only dried the dishes, but you dried the dish drainer and tray. Everything was put away. The dish towel and rag were hung to dry, not draped over the top of the faucet. A few years ago, at my home, Aunt Esther and I were bussing the table, and I spotted her slipping un-used silverware into the drawer. I joked with her about it and reminded her of the lesson she taught me years ago!
Even though she loved to cook she also liked to go out and eat. I'm sure this was something that rubbed off from Uncle Fritz. We all have fun memories of eating out with them. Michael loved the spaghetti place. Bobby and Jeanette loved going the Chris and Pits BBQ. The cousins all loved ice cream at Farrell's or pie at Foxy's or Marie Callandar's I will never forget the night Aunt Esther, Uncle Fritz, Kathleen and I were eating dinner at Ports-of-Call. Kathy said something about loving pickles, so Uncle Fritz ordered her a side of pickles! Each morning after Aunt Esther retired, she would cook Uncle Fritz, a healthy breakfast. (And then he would go "Run Errands" and go out for breakfast- you know for his ham and eggs.) She always knew where he was going and finally she said that one day she asked him, "So how was your breakfast?" She said he had a funny look on his face and he knew she had caught him. She finally caved in and started to accompany him on his daily breakfast runs. I always liked to watch her order: bacon crisp, toast dark and dry. She was this exact in other ways too. All of her belongings were organized and in careful order. She would joke that one time she went to the storage unit she and Uncle Fritz had and laughed when she saw that he had painted and neatly labeled several boxes with the work "Junk." I don't think she realized it but she was very orderly too. You need to be precise.
Family and friends were important to Aunt Esther. Being the oldest girl, she did her share of tending her siblings. She told me that once when she was about 9 and still living in Provo, Grandma had to go somewhere overnight to help a family member. Grandpa was out of town working, so Grandma took the baby and left Aunt Esther home in charge of the rest of the kids. At the time they had a wood burning stove so making the morning oatmeal would be difficult. Aunt Esther said that she was a little scared, but knowing her, I know she was able to step up and handle the responsibility. After she and Uncle Fritz married, she would come over to the house on Fridays and pick up Aunt Mildred and take her home to spend the weekend with them away from the 5 teasing brothers she had to put up with during the week. She paid for Aunt Mildred's braces and violin lessons. After Grandma and Grandpa bought the plot of land on Felix Avenue in Bell Gardens, Aunt Esther went with Grandpa and bought two surplus, World War 1 army tents so the family could have somewhere to live while they built the little house (which by the way, Aunt Clarice designed). The rest of the family lived in those two 15 by 15 foot tents for three years while they built the little house on Felix Avenue. Weekly she took Grandma to the grocery store or to run errands. They would go out to eat with Grandma at least once a week. She and Uncle Fritz hosted all of the cousins at their home. No matter how many of us there were, we always felt welcome. She would tell stories and talk about each of my cousins. She had many friends, some from her school years, who she still corresponded with. Today, with computers and mobile telephones, it is much easier to keep in touch with someone, but to keep in-touch with people for over 75 years, takes some diligence and work. That shows true compassion. Twenty years ago Aunt Esther moved up to Northern California to be my dad, Burt's housemate. Originally, both she and Uncle Fritz were planning on making the move. They loved to visit my dad to putter around the house. They would come several times a year and stay for several weeks at a time. But after Uncle Fritz's death, we convinced Aunt Esther that she should still make the move. I know that it was hard for her. The cold weather did not agree with her but she looked after Burt and he looked after her. I know that the last few years were difficult, especially after her stroke and heart attack but both, my father, my family and I are grateful she made the move. Just like Grandma, she knew the names of family members young and old. She kept in touch with many and if you are the recipient of this kind of charity shown you know how important it is.
One of the last things we need to remember about Aunt Esther was that first and foremost she was a Red-Head and with that came important expectations and responsibilities, lessons which many here already know! I loved to tell people that she was a natural red head and had never dyed her hair. This was especially fun as she grew older. People would respond with a "Wow," and then lean closer to inspect her hairline. She loved to recount the time she was sitting in the waiting room of Bethlehem Steel for an interview, the western actor Leo Carrillo, walked in and commented about how much he loved her red hair, and that it was the same color as his horse! She always told me that she could not wait for her hair to go grey, which of course it never really did, so she could wear red. So the last car she bought was red- since red heads were not supposed to wear red. In the last few years, I started to buy her red clothes and she enjoyed wearing them with some reassurance that they looked beautiful. Being a red-head made Aunt Esther rather feisty- but most of the time she was able to control this feisty-ness which for anyone can be a hard thing. The members of my ward were sad to hear of her passing and commented that they loved her smile and kindness. For the past 10 years she was one of our ward's library ladies, a calling she enjoyed very much. Aunt Esther never received her endowments, but I found it interesting, that in her photographs, there were many of various temples she visited during her travels. Even though she did not express her testimony verbally, she showed it in her actions. You can be strong and feisty, but you show your love and concern for others with your actions and that is the most important lesson of all.
So in conclusion the lessons that I learned from my Aunt who I love very much and will miss very much are:
1) Not only do we need to keep our minds active, but we need to always learn how to do new things.
2) You don't always need an agenda, adventures are a good thing.
3) There is a place for everything.
4) You need to be precise.
5) Family and friends are important.
6) And the most important lesson of all: You can still be strong and independent but you show your testimony of our Savior and your love and concern for others with your actions
======
No children.
Eulogy of Esther Banks Pitman
By her niece Janene Banks Littlejohn
I am touched that I was asked to write the eulogy of Esther Banks Pitman.
On March 1, 1918, Esther Banks, was born in Rigby, Idaho. She was the third child of Burtrude and Luceil Duerden Banks. Her two older siblings were Willard born in 1915 and Alice born in 1916. Sadly Alice passed away when she was three months old, from pneumonia so Grandma and Grandpa were a little over-protective of Esther having just lost an infant. This was even more so, when as a toddler, Esther contracted polio. Grandma and Grandpa spent hours massaging her legs with oil to counteract the paralysis from that disease. Gladly, Esther made a full recovery and was able to walk, however one leg always remained shorter than the other so she never had to take physical education in school and rarely participated in any kind of sports. (Many of us do remember her try at the three-legged race at the Lake Nacimiento family reunion!) Her first few years were spent in Idaho and Utah and when she was 10 they relocated to Southern California. She would talk about the five day drive as being hard and long, because of having to stop every 50 miles or so to repair flat tires. She always told me that she was embarrassed because Uncle Norman's potty chair was tied to the side of the car (he was in the process of learning to use it at the time!) As a girl she learned to play the violin, and acted in school plays. She also participated in Mutual and other church activities. She graduated from Garfield High School and later attended Southwestern University Business School. She worked at an auto dealership, Taylor Rae, Bethlehem Steel, Chrysler Corporation and finally for 34 years at 3M Company. She met James Sherman Pitman, who everyone called Fritz, in January 1938, while waiting at a bus stop. Recognizing a girl on the other end of the bench and in an effort to flirt with the other girl, he came up and kicked the bench, which knocked Aunt Esther off. Uncle Fritz apologized, and asked her if she wanted to read the funny papers. The next day, he drove up to the bus stop and offered her a ride home. She said that she was a little leery because at the time he introduced himself as Jimmy Brooks, but when she met his family half of them called him Sherman and the other half called him Fritz. His other alias was James Pitman (which was his legal last name.) He perservered, and they were married on New Year's Eve that same year and enjoyed 54 years together until he passed away, April 1, 1993. For the past 20 years, she has lived in Northern California with her brother, my father, Burt Banks. She passed away at home at 4:08 in the morning with Aunt Mildred holding her hand, on Thursday, August 29, 2013 at the age of 95.
Uncle Leon and Uncle Bobby decided that I knew her better than anyone else, which I doubt is true and asked me to write and deliver this eulogy. I think that since everyone here had an opportunity to spend time with her, so you probably knew her pretty well, too. Several years ago, when we were compiling the Dureden Family History, I worked with Aunt Esther to put together her personal history. Most of what she originally recounted in her history was about Uncle Fritz. I had a hard time pulling tidbits of information out of her. I reworked the history she had written to make it include more about her. I guess I never realized Aunt Esther was very private and rather shy.
If you spent time with Aunt Esther you know that she loved to play games. One summer while staying in Southern California, Aunt Esther and I went to a mother-daughter activity at Church. There were lots of games and activities. We (mostly Aunt Esther) knew the answers to all the games and would have won all of them, however after the first wins few we decided to just fudge it, and let others have a chance to win! Aunt Esther's favorite tv shows were the game shows, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, but anyone who stayed with Aunt Esther and Uncle Fritz would attest to the fact that in the evening after dinner, you did not sit-around and watch tv, you sat-around and played games: Boggle, Kismet, Yahtzi, Rummicube, and of course Scrabble. She would say that game playing was really a passion of Uncle Fritz's, but even after he died, she continued the tradition. When Aunt Ardis and Allan or Aunt Mildred or Uncle Bobby, would come visit, she would pull out the Scrabble game and they would play. We would play at our home, too, however my son James was the only person who could give her a run for her money. The only time I ever won a Scrabble game played with Aunt Esther was a few months ago when she was in the hospital. I needed the advantage of feeling good and having good eyesight to win that game (hers was limited the last few years after her stroke and heart attack). She had crossword puzzle books all over the house, living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, which she would work on when there were commercials on tv! She had dozens of books in her bed which she would sit up and read all night. One thing we can learn from Aunt Esther is that you must keep your mind active.
Aunt Esther loved creating. She and Uncle Fritz would take art and painting classes at night, which were fun, since they would go out for dessert afterwards. They were part of a square dancing group. I never saw them dance, but I remember the beautiful costumes she would wear. When there moved to the apartment on Florence Avenue, she took swimming lessons for the first time in her life so she could swim in the pool. She was a beautiful seamstress. We often would consult together on sewing projects. She loved to knit and crochet. She would do calligraphy and make beautiful cards. She made jewelry. Her passion for china painting continued for a few years after she moved to Northern California. We would go shopping and see something and then figure out how to make it. She had hundreds of books on how to do things: sewing, drawing and sketching, any kind of painting you could imagine: oil-water color, Chinese, and china painting, embossing, jewelry making, interior decorating, furniture refinishing, how to play games: Scrabble being one of them. Aunt Esther taught me that not only do we need to keep our mind active, but we need to always learn how to do new things.
I always had fun going on adventures with Aunt Esther and Uncle Fritz. They loved Disneyland and playing tourist in Southern California, or just going for a drive to look at the lights, walking around places like Ports-ofCall, or going to museums like the Huntington Library to look at art or in the Bay Area, the Blackhawk Auto Museum. One time after Aunt Esther moved up north she and I took my children on an adventure. We went for a ride. They kept asking us, "Where are we going?" possibly because I never took them in the car without an agenda, you know school, sports, music lessons, church. We kept reassuring them that we were going for a ride, an adventure. We ended up in a little town called Sunol where we explored the historic sites. We then drove around until we came to another little town called Niles. Just as we were about to go home, James spotted an antique store, which we stopped in. I loved watching the kids look at all the old gadgets and listen to Aunt Esther explain to them how each one was used. It was a great day and she helped me remember that going on an adventure just exploring was something we should not ever forget to do. You don't always need an agenda, adventures are a good thing.
Aunt Esther was a great cook. I never realized how hard cooking for two people was until I had my children and realized it is usually easier to make more food, but she could make almost anything. Of course she worked full time for over 40 years of her life but she would come home and still cook dinner. On the first night Uncle Fritz was home from the war she made him chipped-beef on toast (I guess it was a war-time favorite!) It must have been a military-cook-favorite too, because that was the one meal Uncle Fritz complained about and asked her never to cook again. I don't remember her using tons of convenience foods. I loved her pot roast, macaroni and cheese – not from a box, and her wonderful desserts. When she moved up north we would have Sunday dinners together. When Lance's mom was still alive, the group included my family of five, Burt and Esther, Lance's mom Cleo, Cleo's friend Bob and for the last ten years of Cleo's life, her caregiver, which would make at least 10 people, plus anyone else we would invite over to join us. Aunt Esther would make the dessert. Sometimes it was a cake from a box, but most of the time it was something she just "thought up." I know she enjoyed watching cooking shows on tv and probably got some inspiration from those, but I loved her experiments, things like toffee cookies made from a not so perfect batch of toffee. Besides learning how to cook, I learned another important lesson in the kitchen from Aunt Esther. There is a place for everything. She said that when we set the table, you included forks, knives and spoons, however when we bussed the table, anything placed on the table was washed even if it wasn't used. We would do the dishes, wash, dry and carefully put things away. The silverware was placed neatly in the drawer. You not only dried the dishes, but you dried the dish drainer and tray. Everything was put away. The dish towel and rag were hung to dry, not draped over the top of the faucet. A few years ago, at my home, Aunt Esther and I were bussing the table, and I spotted her slipping un-used silverware into the drawer. I joked with her about it and reminded her of the lesson she taught me years ago!
Even though she loved to cook she also liked to go out and eat. I'm sure this was something that rubbed off from Uncle Fritz. We all have fun memories of eating out with them. Michael loved the spaghetti place. Bobby and Jeanette loved going the Chris and Pits BBQ. The cousins all loved ice cream at Farrell's or pie at Foxy's or Marie Callandar's I will never forget the night Aunt Esther, Uncle Fritz, Kathleen and I were eating dinner at Ports-of-Call. Kathy said something about loving pickles, so Uncle Fritz ordered her a side of pickles! Each morning after Aunt Esther retired, she would cook Uncle Fritz, a healthy breakfast. (And then he would go "Run Errands" and go out for breakfast- you know for his ham and eggs.) She always knew where he was going and finally she said that one day she asked him, "So how was your breakfast?" She said he had a funny look on his face and he knew she had caught him. She finally caved in and started to accompany him on his daily breakfast runs. I always liked to watch her order: bacon crisp, toast dark and dry. She was this exact in other ways too. All of her belongings were organized and in careful order. She would joke that one time she went to the storage unit she and Uncle Fritz had and laughed when she saw that he had painted and neatly labeled several boxes with the work "Junk." I don't think she realized it but she was very orderly too. You need to be precise.
Family and friends were important to Aunt Esther. Being the oldest girl, she did her share of tending her siblings. She told me that once when she was about 9 and still living in Provo, Grandma had to go somewhere overnight to help a family member. Grandpa was out of town working, so Grandma took the baby and left Aunt Esther home in charge of the rest of the kids. At the time they had a wood burning stove so making the morning oatmeal would be difficult. Aunt Esther said that she was a little scared, but knowing her, I know she was able to step up and handle the responsibility. After she and Uncle Fritz married, she would come over to the house on Fridays and pick up Aunt Mildred and take her home to spend the weekend with them away from the 5 teasing brothers she had to put up with during the week. She paid for Aunt Mildred's braces and violin lessons. After Grandma and Grandpa bought the plot of land on Felix Avenue in Bell Gardens, Aunt Esther went with Grandpa and bought two surplus, World War 1 army tents so the family could have somewhere to live while they built the little house (which by the way, Aunt Clarice designed). The rest of the family lived in those two 15 by 15 foot tents for three years while they built the little house on Felix Avenue. Weekly she took Grandma to the grocery store or to run errands. They would go out to eat with Grandma at least once a week. She and Uncle Fritz hosted all of the cousins at their home. No matter how many of us there were, we always felt welcome. She would tell stories and talk about each of my cousins. She had many friends, some from her school years, who she still corresponded with. Today, with computers and mobile telephones, it is much easier to keep in touch with someone, but to keep in-touch with people for over 75 years, takes some diligence and work. That shows true compassion. Twenty years ago Aunt Esther moved up to Northern California to be my dad, Burt's housemate. Originally, both she and Uncle Fritz were planning on making the move. They loved to visit my dad to putter around the house. They would come several times a year and stay for several weeks at a time. But after Uncle Fritz's death, we convinced Aunt Esther that she should still make the move. I know that it was hard for her. The cold weather did not agree with her but she looked after Burt and he looked after her. I know that the last few years were difficult, especially after her stroke and heart attack but both, my father, my family and I are grateful she made the move. Just like Grandma, she knew the names of family members young and old. She kept in touch with many and if you are the recipient of this kind of charity shown you know how important it is.
One of the last things we need to remember about Aunt Esther was that first and foremost she was a Red-Head and with that came important expectations and responsibilities, lessons which many here already know! I loved to tell people that she was a natural red head and had never dyed her hair. This was especially fun as she grew older. People would respond with a "Wow," and then lean closer to inspect her hairline. She loved to recount the time she was sitting in the waiting room of Bethlehem Steel for an interview, the western actor Leo Carrillo, walked in and commented about how much he loved her red hair, and that it was the same color as his horse! She always told me that she could not wait for her hair to go grey, which of course it never really did, so she could wear red. So the last car she bought was red- since red heads were not supposed to wear red. In the last few years, I started to buy her red clothes and she enjoyed wearing them with some reassurance that they looked beautiful. Being a red-head made Aunt Esther rather feisty- but most of the time she was able to control this feisty-ness which for anyone can be a hard thing. The members of my ward were sad to hear of her passing and commented that they loved her smile and kindness. For the past 10 years she was one of our ward's library ladies, a calling she enjoyed very much. Aunt Esther never received her endowments, but I found it interesting, that in her photographs, there were many of various temples she visited during her travels. Even though she did not express her testimony verbally, she showed it in her actions. You can be strong and feisty, but you show your love and concern for others with your actions and that is the most important lesson of all.
So in conclusion the lessons that I learned from my Aunt who I love very much and will miss very much are:
1) Not only do we need to keep our minds active, but we need to always learn how to do new things.
2) You don't always need an agenda, adventures are a good thing.
3) There is a place for everything.
4) You need to be precise.
5) Family and friends are important.
6) And the most important lesson of all: You can still be strong and independent but you show your testimony of our Savior and your love and concern for others with your actions
======
No children.
By her niece Janene Banks Littlejohn
I am touched that I was asked to write the eulogy of Esther Banks Pitman.
On March 1, 1918, Esther Banks, was born in Rigby, Idaho. She was the third child of Burtrude and Luceil Duerden Banks. Her two older siblings were Willard born in 1915 and Alice born in 1916. Sadly Alice passed away when she was three months old, from pneumonia so Grandma and Grandpa were a little over-protective of Esther having just lost an infant. This was even more so, when as a toddler, Esther contracted polio. Grandma and Grandpa spent hours massaging her legs with oil to counteract the paralysis from that disease. Gladly, Esther made a full recovery and was able to walk, however one leg always remained shorter than the other so she never had to take physical education in school and rarely participated in any kind of sports. (Many of us do remember her try at the three-legged race at the Lake Nacimiento family reunion!) Her first few years were spent in Idaho and Utah and when she was 10 they relocated to Southern California. She would talk about the five day drive as being hard and long, because of having to stop every 50 miles or so to repair flat tires. She always told me that she was embarrassed because Uncle Norman's potty chair was tied to the side of the car (he was in the process of learning to use it at the time!) As a girl she learned to play the violin, and acted in school plays. She also participated in Mutual and other church activities. She graduated from Garfield High School and later attended Southwestern University Business School. She worked at an auto dealership, Taylor Rae, Bethlehem Steel, Chrysler Corporation and finally for 34 years at 3M Company. She met James Sherman Pitman, who everyone called Fritz, in January 1938, while waiting at a bus stop. Recognizing a girl on the other end of the bench and in an effort to flirt with the other girl, he came up and kicked the bench, which knocked Aunt Esther off. Uncle Fritz apologized, and asked her if she wanted to read the funny papers. The next day, he drove up to the bus stop and offered her a ride home. She said that she was a little leery because at the time he introduced himself as Jimmy Brooks, but when she met his family half of them called him Sherman and the other half called him Fritz. His other alias was James Pitman (which was his legal last name.) He perservered, and they were married on New Year's Eve that same year and enjoyed 54 years together until he passed away, April 1, 1993. For the past 20 years, she has lived in Northern California with her brother, my father, Burt Banks. She passed away at home at 4:08 in the morning with Aunt Mildred holding her hand, on Thursday, August 29, 2013 at the age of 95.
Uncle Leon and Uncle Bobby decided that I knew her better than anyone else, which I doubt is true and asked me to write and deliver this eulogy. I think that since everyone here had an opportunity to spend time with her, so you probably knew her pretty well, too. Several years ago, when we were compiling the Dureden Family History, I worked with Aunt Esther to put together her personal history. Most of what she originally recounted in her history was about Uncle Fritz. I had a hard time pulling tidbits of information out of her. I reworked the history she had written to make it include more about her. I guess I never realized Aunt Esther was very private and rather shy.
If you spent time with Aunt Esther you know that she loved to play games. One summer while staying in Southern California, Aunt Esther and I went to a mother-daughter activity at Church. There were lots of games and activities. We (mostly Aunt Esther) knew the answers to all the games and would have won all of them, however after the first wins few we decided to just fudge it, and let others have a chance to win! Aunt Esther's favorite tv shows were the game shows, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, but anyone who stayed with Aunt Esther and Uncle Fritz would attest to the fact that in the evening after dinner, you did not sit-around and watch tv, you sat-around and played games: Boggle, Kismet, Yahtzi, Rummicube, and of course Scrabble. She would say that game playing was really a passion of Uncle Fritz's, but even after he died, she continued the tradition. When Aunt Ardis and Allan or Aunt Mildred or Uncle Bobby, would come visit, she would pull out the Scrabble game and they would play. We would play at our home, too, however my son James was the only person who could give her a run for her money. The only time I ever won a Scrabble game played with Aunt Esther was a few months ago when she was in the hospital. I needed the advantage of feeling good and having good eyesight to win that game (hers was limited the last few years after her stroke and heart attack). She had crossword puzzle books all over the house, living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, which she would work on when there were commercials on tv! She had dozens of books in her bed which she would sit up and read all night. One thing we can learn from Aunt Esther is that you must keep your mind active.
Aunt Esther loved creating. She and Uncle Fritz would take art and painting classes at night, which were fun, since they would go out for dessert afterwards. They were part of a square dancing group. I never saw them dance, but I remember the beautiful costumes she would wear. When there moved to the apartment on Florence Avenue, she took swimming lessons for the first time in her life so she could swim in the pool. She was a beautiful seamstress. We often would consult together on sewing projects. She loved to knit and crochet. She would do calligraphy and make beautiful cards. She made jewelry. Her passion for china painting continued for a few years after she moved to Northern California. We would go shopping and see something and then figure out how to make it. She had hundreds of books on how to do things: sewing, drawing and sketching, any kind of painting you could imagine: oil-water color, Chinese, and china painting, embossing, jewelry making, interior decorating, furniture refinishing, how to play games: Scrabble being one of them. Aunt Esther taught me that not only do we need to keep our mind active, but we need to always learn how to do new things.
I always had fun going on adventures with Aunt Esther and Uncle Fritz. They loved Disneyland and playing tourist in Southern California, or just going for a drive to look at the lights, walking around places like Ports-ofCall, or going to museums like the Huntington Library to look at art or in the Bay Area, the Blackhawk Auto Museum. One time after Aunt Esther moved up north she and I took my children on an adventure. We went for a ride. They kept asking us, "Where are we going?" possibly because I never took them in the car without an agenda, you know school, sports, music lessons, church. We kept reassuring them that we were going for a ride, an adventure. We ended up in a little town called Sunol where we explored the historic sites. We then drove around until we came to another little town called Niles. Just as we were about to go home, James spotted an antique store, which we stopped in. I loved watching the kids look at all the old gadgets and listen to Aunt Esther explain to them how each one was used. It was a great day and she helped me remember that going on an adventure just exploring was something we should not ever forget to do. You don't always need an agenda, adventures are a good thing.
Aunt Esther was a great cook. I never realized how hard cooking for two people was until I had my children and realized it is usually easier to make more food, but she could make almost anything. Of course she worked full time for over 40 years of her life but she would come home and still cook dinner. On the first night Uncle Fritz was home from the war she made him chipped-beef on toast (I guess it was a war-time favorite!) It must have been a military-cook-favorite too, because that was the one meal Uncle Fritz complained about and asked her never to cook again. I don't remember her using tons of convenience foods. I loved her pot roast, macaroni and cheese – not from a box, and her wonderful desserts. When she moved up north we would have Sunday dinners together. When Lance's mom was still alive, the group included my family of five, Burt and Esther, Lance's mom Cleo, Cleo's friend Bob and for the last ten years of Cleo's life, her caregiver, which would make at least 10 people, plus anyone else we would invite over to join us. Aunt Esther would make the dessert. Sometimes it was a cake from a box, but most of the time it was something she just "thought up." I know she enjoyed watching cooking shows on tv and probably got some inspiration from those, but I loved her experiments, things like toffee cookies made from a not so perfect batch of toffee. Besides learning how to cook, I learned another important lesson in the kitchen from Aunt Esther. There is a place for everything. She said that when we set the table, you included forks, knives and spoons, however when we bussed the table, anything placed on the table was washed even if it wasn't used. We would do the dishes, wash, dry and carefully put things away. The silverware was placed neatly in the drawer. You not only dried the dishes, but you dried the dish drainer and tray. Everything was put away. The dish towel and rag were hung to dry, not draped over the top of the faucet. A few years ago, at my home, Aunt Esther and I were bussing the table, and I spotted her slipping un-used silverware into the drawer. I joked with her about it and reminded her of the lesson she taught me years ago!
Even though she loved to cook she also liked to go out and eat. I'm sure this was something that rubbed off from Uncle Fritz. We all have fun memories of eating out with them. Michael loved the spaghetti place. Bobby and Jeanette loved going the Chris and Pits BBQ. The cousins all loved ice cream at Farrell's or pie at Foxy's or Marie Callandar's I will never forget the night Aunt Esther, Uncle Fritz, Kathleen and I were eating dinner at Ports-of-Call. Kathy said something about loving pickles, so Uncle Fritz ordered her a side of pickles! Each morning after Aunt Esther retired, she would cook Uncle Fritz, a healthy breakfast. (And then he would go "Run Errands" and go out for breakfast- you know for his ham and eggs.) She always knew where he was going and finally she said that one day she asked him, "So how was your breakfast?" She said he had a funny look on his face and he knew she had caught him. She finally caved in and started to accompany him on his daily breakfast runs. I always liked to watch her order: bacon crisp, toast dark and dry. She was this exact in other ways too. All of her belongings were organized and in careful order. She would joke that one time she went to the storage unit she and Uncle Fritz had and laughed when she saw that he had painted and neatly labeled several boxes with the work "Junk." I don't think she realized it but she was very orderly too. You need to be precise.
Family and friends were important to Aunt Esther. Being the oldest girl, she did her share of tending her siblings. She told me that once when she was about 9 and still living in Provo, Grandma had to go somewhere overnight to help a family member. Grandpa was out of town working, so Grandma took the baby and left Aunt Esther home in charge of the rest of the kids. At the time they had a wood burning stove so making the morning oatmeal would be difficult. Aunt Esther said that she was a little scared, but knowing her, I know she was able to step up and handle the responsibility. After she and Uncle Fritz married, she would come over to the house on Fridays and pick up Aunt Mildred and take her home to spend the weekend with them away from the 5 teasing brothers she had to put up with during the week. She paid for Aunt Mildred's braces and violin lessons. After Grandma and Grandpa bought the plot of land on Felix Avenue in Bell Gardens, Aunt Esther went with Grandpa and bought two surplus, World War 1 army tents so the family could have somewhere to live while they built the little house (which by the way, Aunt Clarice designed). The rest of the family lived in those two 15 by 15 foot tents for three years while they built the little house on Felix Avenue. Weekly she took Grandma to the grocery store or to run errands. They would go out to eat with Grandma at least once a week. She and Uncle Fritz hosted all of the cousins at their home. No matter how many of us there were, we always felt welcome. She would tell stories and talk about each of my cousins. She had many friends, some from her school years, who she still corresponded with. Today, with computers and mobile telephones, it is much easier to keep in touch with someone, but to keep in-touch with people for over 75 years, takes some diligence and work. That shows true compassion. Twenty years ago Aunt Esther moved up to Northern California to be my dad, Burt's housemate. Originally, both she and Uncle Fritz were planning on making the move. They loved to visit my dad to putter around the house. They would come several times a year and stay for several weeks at a time. But after Uncle Fritz's death, we convinced Aunt Esther that she should still make the move. I know that it was hard for her. The cold weather did not agree with her but she looked after Burt and he looked after her. I know that the last few years were difficult, especially after her stroke and heart attack but both, my father, my family and I are grateful she made the move. Just like Grandma, she knew the names of family members young and old. She kept in touch with many and if you are the recipient of this kind of charity shown you know how important it is.
One of the last things we need to remember about Aunt Esther was that first and foremost she was a Red-Head and with that came important expectations and responsibilities, lessons which many here already know! I loved to tell people that she was a natural red head and had never dyed her hair. This was especially fun as she grew older. People would respond with a "Wow," and then lean closer to inspect her hairline. She loved to recount the time she was sitting in the waiting room of Bethlehem Steel for an interview, the western actor Leo Carrillo, walked in and commented about how much he loved her red hair, and that it was the same color as his horse! She always told me that she could not wait for her hair to go grey, which of course it never really did, so she could wear red. So the last car she bought was red- since red heads were not supposed to wear red. In the last few years, I started to buy her red clothes and she enjoyed wearing them with some reassurance that they looked beautiful. Being a red-head made Aunt Esther rather feisty- but most of the time she was able to control this feisty-ness which for anyone can be a hard thing. The members of my ward were sad to hear of her passing and commented that they loved her smile and kindness. For the past 10 years she was one of our ward's library ladies, a calling she enjoyed very much. Aunt Esther never received her endowments, but I found it interesting, that in her photographs, there were many of various temples she visited during her travels. Even though she did not express her testimony verbally, she showed it in her actions. You can be strong and feisty, but you show your love and concern for others with your actions and that is the most important lesson of all.
So in conclusion the lessons that I learned from my Aunt who I love very much and will miss very much are:
1) Not only do we need to keep our minds active, but we need to always learn how to do new things.
2) You don't always need an agenda, adventures are a good thing.
3) There is a place for everything.
4) You need to be precise.
5) Family and friends are important.
6) And the most important lesson of all: You can still be strong and independent but you show your testimony of our Savior and your love and concern for others with your actions
======
No children.
