Esther Raye Tolbert Owens

Esther Raye Tolbert Owens entered this earthly life July 28, 1921, and was the first of two children, born to the union of Lillie Beatrice Warren and Joe Tolbert in Bastrop, Bastrop County, TX. Esther Raye accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior early in life and attended school in Bastrop, TX. She celebrated 96 years on this earth and was known and loved for many accomplishments. She was a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Each of these roles she enjoyed and never became weary of any of them. Esther attended Royston School and Clearview Elementary School located in Hills Prairie, Texas. She completed the 7th grade at Clearview Elementary School. Esther graduated valedictorian of her class from the 11th grade at Emile High School. She played tennis (doubles) with her sister, Rosa Lee and won a tennis scholarship playing singles.  Esther used a tennis scholarship and attended Prairie View College, Prairie View, Texas. She also attended Huston Tillotson College in Austin, Texas. At that time the college was named Tillotson College. She played tennis for 2 years then decided to do something different. Esther applied for a job at Bastrop High School in Bastrop, Texas and was hired to collect Census data for 3 years. She stepped away and became involved in insurance. Esther was employed at Atlanta Life Insurance Company for 10 years. She changed to Universal Life Insurance Company. During her employment with the Universal Life Insurance Company, she attended cosmetology school in Austin, Texas on 11th Street. She graduated and received certificates and her license. Esther operated her own beauty shop named Raye’s Beauty Shop on Main Street in Bastrop, Texas for 3 years, it was the first black business on Main Street. Esther worked from day to night. After she closed the beauty shop she was hired by Robert Miller at the Texas Grill. She worked at the Texas Grill for 11 ½ years as the head cook from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. while still working for the Universal Life Insurance Company. Esther retired from Universal Life in 1989 and went back to work for 5 more years. She permanently retired in 1994 from Universal Life Insurance Company. Esther started to work for Bluebonnet Home Health Care for 11 or 12 years. She retired from Bluebonnet in 2006. Last job!!! Esther was united in matrimony to Edward Lee Owens. Esther was a faithful member of the Macedonia First Baptist Church, Bastrop, Texas where she served in various leadership capacities: President of the Sanctuary Choir, Superintendent of the Sunday School, and Chairperson of the Benevolent Committee. She served as the Secretary and Treasurer of the Sunday School until her death. She also was a member of the Choir and Mission auxiliaries throughout the years. She never missed paying her monthly tithes and offerings. She loved to cook and invite ministers and their families over to her house to eat Sunday Dinner after church. She was famous for her seven-up cakes and peach cobblers. She was a hard worker. In her senior years you could find her making weekly trips to the Bastrop Food Pantry, Senior Citizens Center and helping others by delivering food to those in need, young and old. She was a member of the Emile High School Reunion, Juneteenth and Clearview Cemetery Committees. It takes a village to raise a child, although she had ten children of her own, she was truly instrumental in helping to raise many of the children in the community. Esther was preceded in death by her husband Edward Lee Owens, mother Lillie B.   Monroe, father Joe Tolbert; three sisters, Mary Jo Tolbert, Essie Sorrells and Rosa Lee Philson; and son Bruce Edward Jackson. She entered into eternal rest on Monday, June 25, 2018. She leaves to cherish her life’s legacy two sons Rev. Billy Hicks (Ida) Rockford, Illinois, Rev. Barry Jackson (Vantrice) DeSoto, Texas; seven daughters Bettye Narcisse (late Jules Narcisse), Barbara and Bonita Tolbert, Houston, Texas, Brenda Williams (Lewis) Pflugerville, Texas, Belinda Williams (Rev. C.A.) Smithville, Texas, Bernetta Tolbert, Bastrop, Texas, and Beverlon Hodge, Austin, Texas. Thirteen grandchildren, fourteen great grandchildren, and those she considered as her sons and daughters Barbara Clemons, Peggy Davis, Rosemary Hodge, Willie Peterson, Doris Hodge, Anna Hodge, and Jacob Sanders and a host of other relatives and friends. There will be a visitation held on Friday, June 29, 2018 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bastrop Providence Funeral Home 2079 Highway 71 East Bastrop, Texas 78602. Funeral service is scheduled for Saturday, June 30, 2018 at 11 a.m. at the Providence Primitive Baptist Tabernacle, 120 North Gaines, Road Cedar Creek, Texas 78612.