Ester Mae Lehman

ONE OF OUR OLDEST CITIZENS ESTER LEHMAN Â– 103 Ester Mae Huffines Â“NannieÂ” Lehman, age 103 died Tuesday the 21st of January 2014 at her home surrounded by family and special loving caretakers. Ester was born March 12th 1910 on a cotton farm near Turkey, Texas. She was preceded in death by her husband Reuben Lloyd Lehman. She is survived by her six children, RL Lehman Jr. and wife May, Elouise Caskey, Wilma Gaylor Â– Don, Milton Lehman, Travis Lehman, and Joe Lehman Â– Jackie. Her life was blessed by a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Ester was a unique person in many special ways. She was the youngest of four children Â– two brothers and a sister. At the age of ten, with her mother sick and incapacitated Â– she ran the farm house Â– she Â“made the beds and set the rules,Â” cooked the food not only for the family but farm hands that came to pick cotton. As a teenager Ester was in charge as her father would tell the others Â“check with Ester.Â” But in her rapid maturing teenage years the man from Leon Prairie came with a group to pick cotton. He liked her cooking and how she would bring him cool water and a big smile. For the next two years he returned and her father noticed how Ester waved to and favored this young man. Then, when there was no cotton to be picked, he returned to marry his favorite cook the pretty girl who flirted with him as he tried to work. In 1928 at the age of 18, Ester married Mr. Reuben Lloyd Lehman. Their first son was born in 1929 and was followed by two girls, one in 1932 and one in 1933. In the depth of the depression of 1934 the family moved to Leon Prairie where they joined ReubenÂ’s parents, four brothers and his twin sister. The family survived the struggles of our depression and maintained close knit family continuity until the years of WWII. Reuben was deferred to run the farm and others departed for overseas duties. During the war years EsterÂ’s family expanded with the birthing of three boys Â– Milton, Travis and Joe. With war behind them and returnees forming their own families conditions abruptly changed in 1946 when fire destroyed their home. The next year with few belongings, seeking better education and a nearness to Sam Houston College for their family of six children, Ester and Reuben moved to Huntsville. The wisdom of this decision is well documented in Huntsville life, Huntsville High School and Sam Houston College athletic programs. Mr. Lehman was a dedicated employee of Mr. Finis Larrison at his Auto Parts store. Mr. Larrison maintained a time honored relationship with Ester. With her children in high school, Ester started a babysitting home business. She always seemed to have a special talent for managing children; she loved them and they responded with love and eagerness to return to Â“NannieÂ’sÂ” house. In 1978 her wonderful husband Â– the man from Leon Prairie died. Ester, accustomed to adversity and hard knocks of life, was determined to be self-sufficient; she greatly expanded her babysitting enterprise. As a result, today spread across the State and Country are her new children and their childrenÂ’s children, who along with many people who knew her, fondly called herÂ– Nannie. She lived a simple Christian life and took pride in saying she had never smoked or used tobacco and whiskey had never crossed her lips plus Â– she didnÂ’t pick cotton. Her philosophy was if you canÂ’t do anything about it- forget it. She did not have time to get angry or be upset with people. But she always had an uncanny highly developed art of getting things accomplished NOW Throughout her life Nannie has been known for her love, her laughter and sometimes outrageous tricks played on friends and love ones. She welcomed everyone to her home and after she hugged you she wanted to know what you would like to eat. In her final year she suffered physical pain and frailties of old age Â– but not the disappointments, heartaches or needs to complain. Her oldest son is now 84 and the youngest of her six children is 68. She is blessed with the loving respect and appreciation of 12 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and 9 great-great grandchildren. Her son Travis became a live-in-son for 15 years thereby allowing Ester to enjoy life in her own home. Additionally, she was helped by very special professional caretakers who not only met her medical needs but brought much love and joy to her life. Also, there was the special blessing of her dear friend Sedalia Irving who for nine years cared for her with never ending love Â– played checkers and calls her Â“MammaÂ”. Now, we all -in memoryÂ’s eye- will see her wonderful smile, her sense of humor and tingle with our blessing of her extended life miracle. Ester, her family and friends acknowledge the great Doctors, Nurses and medical care she received. But, Ester accredited her long life not to medical care, treadmills or exercise, but to God whom she believed was in charge of both her living and her dying. Her faith, peace and love she lived took her where she is today and will always be a guide post for each of us. Ester Lehman Â– was a glorious 103 year old lady we all loved respected and appreciated and called Mother, Nannie and Grandmother. Her funeral service will be 2:00 PM Sunday the 26th at The Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, 1700 Normal Park, Huntsville, TX. Family visitation and body in state will be at The Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home Saturday evening 6:00 to 8:00 PM. A family interment program is planned for 4:30 PM at Evans Chapel Leona, TX. Memorial condolences to the family may be made at www.shmfh.com.

Ester Mae Lehman

March 12, 1910 - January 26, 2014