Esther Heaton by LaVerna Heaton Allen

Jonathan and Lucy Elizabeth were both the third child of their respective families.  Their third child and oldest girl was Esther. She must have been Grandma's right hand man in raising her eleven.  She and papa [her brother, Fred Heaton] graduated from eighth grade in Orderville at the same time.

She was about the age of the teacher who was hired to teach her brothers and sisters from Chris down to Gilbert. Shew as taller and the largest of her mother's girls, but one of the nicest girls LaVerna (Isom) had ever been around. Although Esther was busy, quiet and reserved, they became good friends.  

When Fred invited LaVerna on their first off the ranch date, Esther and a half brother were in the buggy when he stopped for her.  They were going to a Conference in Kanab.  June and Esther stayed with them when they ate at Dan Frost's father's house between sessions.  Mama explains she and Fred were keeping company from that time on.

LaVerna had never been around anyone who knew more about horses. Fred had rode since small and drive four or eight horses to a wagon when Jonathan was freighting.  He was the oldest one at home now and had skills his youngest brother wanted.  He was probably driving when Jonathan asked his sons to turn the wagons around after talking aside with Alvin, and when his father was shipping wool and unknowingly our folks were together.  LaVerna had graduated and they were moving from Salt Lake to Virgin. Alice Isom's grandson met them at Marysvale. A heavy storm made everyone seek shelter.  The roomful of men parted to let the ladies by the fireplace.  They didn't look around but some of the men may have.

After LaVerna taught at Moccasin, she renewed her contract.  Fred rode Old Dee to visit her which was under one hundred miles, one way.  Esther went with him in a buggy at Christmas Holidays to Virgin to visit and go on to St. George for their temple marriage.  They were given a wedding present of six fancy china plates to serve cake or pie on.  They had gold designs around cutouts on the rims with two pink roses  and a bud in the center.  Mama gave each of her girls one of the plates before she died, one had been broken but Aunt Esther had an extra and gave it to Regina when she married.  In 1989 they are eighty-three years old and the nearest thing to an heirloom I have if they were bought at that time.  

Esther was a beautiful seamstress and made most of Grandma's and her sister's dresses until they married. She used to help Mama and showed her how to cut out patterns from newspapers for us older girls.  She came to stay with Mama when Papa was on the roundup until she married when thirty, then Aunt Ella slept at our house.

She was named for her Grandmother, Esther Beilby Heaton and had six sons like her.  We always wished she would have a girl so she could make little dresses, but she never did.