Esther Young Carlson was born into the Christian home of Ralph and Fredie Scott Young on August 6, 1917, in Davenport, WA. Her Father was frequently on the move in the lumber business and her Mother did both bookkeeping and house cleaning. When Esther was just a toddler she had whooping cough, but her Grandfather Scott prayed for her and she was healed. She had a younger brother Marvin who died when he was about 13. Her sister Hazel became a school teacher like Esther. The family lived in Spokane three times, twice in Harrington, as well as Deer Park, Newport, Cusek and Portland. Wherever they lived, if there was no church nearby Grandpa Young would start Sunday School in their home or in a nearby dance hall.
As a girl Esther learned to run on the logs in the mill pond even though she couldn't swim. She liked to fish in mountain streams and ride horseback on the farm. Even as a child she assisted her Father on the roof by handing him tools. As a teen she worked at the Teel Wheat Ranch. She enjoyed churning butter and gathering garden produce. She assisted during harvest, sometimes rising at 4:30 to prepare breakfast for the crew before jumping on the harvester for a few rounds in the wheat fields or to steer the sheep by horseback around the hills. Some summers were spent on the Parsons' Ranch near Cloverland, where her cousin Verna had married Lester Parsons.
Esther played the alto horn in the band at Seattle Pacific College, where she graduated in1938. Then she received a Montgomery Ward scholarship to go to Central Washington College in Ellensburg. More moving was ahead after she married Wilbur Carlson on August 24, 1940 in Deer Park. From Kelso they moved to Annapolis, MD, then one year in Chesapeake Bay, VA, one year in a Quonset hut at Naval Base Norfolk, VA, where Esther worked at a department store in Ceeds VA; then County Church, Deer Park, Chicago (where she worked at Sears Roebuck), Columbus OH, Oahu, Honolulu, HA, where their daughter Linda was born. Then they moved to Tokyo, Japan, where they attended an interdenominational church pastored by Rev. Karl Kashida, an officer in the Billy Graham Campaign. They served as greeters, welcoming missionaries such as the DeShazers, Parsons, Overlands and Alice Fensome, Rita Milliken and Geneva Sayre. Esther worked at the American School in Japan and they often hosted service men in their home for Bible studies. Chiyoko helped Esther with housework. They moved next to San Mateo and then to Redwood City, CA.
After moving to Long Island, NY, Wilbur Carlson suffered a stroke in 1966 and was hospitalized for a year during which Linda graduated from high school. Esther volunteered at Kennedy Airport Chapel and Linda volunteered at Long Island Jewish Hospital in Queens. They also helped at the nearest Free Methodist Church, which was in Brooklyn, a 70-mile roundtrip. The family then moved back to Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA, where they became involved at a stroke rehabilitation institution at Cabrillo College Campus. Esther took loving care of Wilbur until his passing in 1999. She had an amazing sense of humor and never lost the sparkle in her eyes. She was a wonderful educator, teaching phonics and benefiting others. Esther Carlson went to be with her Lord on January 12, 2016, at Warm Beach Senior Community, Stanwood WA. Now she has joined her parents and her brother, and others who have gone before. She is survived by her daughter Linda, sister Hazel Carley, nephew Walt Heller and niece Donna Tout, as well as many neighbors and friends.