Esther Cantrell
Esther Cantrell was born October 7, 1938 in Bell, CA, to Eliane and Ernest Marcroft. Her family moved to Farmington, UT when she was a young girl. At 15 she married her high school sweetheart, Robert Gray. They married and began a family very young, and learned to face tragedy at an early age when their first-born son died of an illness at only 1 year old. Esther’s greatest desire and dream in life was to have children and raise a happy family, and she was quickly blessed with 3 more children...only to face tragedy once again when Robert passed away at 30 years old.
When Robert’s health began declining they moved to California. Esther worked as a delivery driver for a printer and went to night school to complete her high school education. It was one of the proudest moments of her life to receive her diploma, and served as an example to her kids of the importance of an education.
After Robert’s passing, Esther very quickly began a new and very happy phase of life when she met and married Lee. Many eyebrows were raised when Lee and Esther married only one month after they met and only two months after Robert’s death, but it lasted 45 wonderful years. He introduced her and her children to the joy and camaraderie of roller skating speed club. With her gregarious and outgoing personality, both Lee’s family and the speed club fell in love with Esther as quickly as Lee had.
Two years after she married Lee, the family moved to Houston, TX. Esther worked part-time in a retail bakery. She had always loved engaging in lively conversation with new people, and Esther’s vivacious and charming personality tickled the fancy of customers and co-workers alike!
Once her children were raised, Esther and Lee moved to Oklahoma to be closer to extended family, and to begin a new adventure in country living. They purchased a skating rink in Elk City and started a local speed club. Always happiest when surrounded by laughter and talk, Esther loved the rink and genuinely cared for her new “skate family”. And as always in her life, those she served at the rink couldn’t help but be swept away by her charms.
After “retiring” from the rink, she spent the last 15 years of her life assisting seniors, participating in her church and town activities in Foss, and with several social and service clubs like the Red Hat Ladies and Willing Workers. Throughout her life, Esther always had a way of touching people’s hearts. No one was ever a stranger to her for long. Her clever chatter delighted all, and her gentle and generous heart will be dearly missed. She passed away May 7, 2017, at her home in Foss, Oklahoma at the age of 78 years, 7 months.
She was preceded in death by her parents, both husbands, Lee Cantrell and Robert Harry Gray, a son, Joey Gray, a granddaughter, Lauralea, and a great-grandson, Kaleb Dippel.
She is survived by her children, Helene Brubeck of Houston, TX, Bev Hammons and husband, William, Worley, Idaho; Richard Gray and wife, Karen, Houston, TX; Bobby Cantrell, Elk City, OK, Barbie Canales and husband, Paul, Yukon, OK; 3 sisters, Cecilia Tibbitts and husband, Kent, Blanding, UT, Ruth Itow, Salt Lake City, UT, Bonnie Bowler and husband, Nick, Nevada; her grandchildren, Keith Brubeck, Spring, TX, Dr. Lee Marvin Hammons and wife, Emily, Connecticut, Harmony Burow and husband, Mike, Eureka, MT, Lincoln Hammons and wife, Krystal, Worley, ID, Champion Hammons and wife, Susan, Spring, TX, Travis Canales, Norman, OK, Matthew Canales, Yukon, OK, Jessica Canales, Yukon, OK, Jason Dippel and wife, Jenni, Houston, TX, Mike Hammons and wife, Missy, Spokane, WA, William L Hammons and wife Carol, Pascagoula, MS; and her 20 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren and a host nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Whinery-Savage Funeral Service in Elk City.
A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 13, 2017, at Cheyenne Cemetery in Cheyenne, Oklahoma. Arrangements are under the direction of Whinery-Savage Funeral Service of Elk City.
(Paid obituary)