Hester Vivian Furgerson Marston

Hester Vivian Furgerson Marston

Hester Vivian Furgerson Marston, 95, went to be with her Heavenly Father on December 18, 2009, in Blacksburg, Va. She was the daughter of Jesse Scott Furgerson and Elnora Grant Furgerson and a former resident of El Paso, Texas.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Ralph George Marston; her sister, Theda Furgerson Erickson; her son, Dr. Ralph Scott Marston; her daughter, Suzanne Marston Borck; and son-in-law, James Lord Borck.

She is survived by her daughter, Mary Margaret Marston Monroe and her husband, Richard, of Blacksburg, Va.; grandchildren, Kimberly Borck Pollard and husband, Michael, of Sharpsburg, Ga., Amity Borck Dey and husband, Brent, of Atlanta, Ga., James Lord Borck Jr. and wife, Laura, of Greenville, S.C., Jennifer Monroe Holliday and husband, Todd, of Simpsonville, S.C., and Spencer Grant Monroe, of Richmond, Va.; great-grandchildren, Michael, James, Julia, Marianne, Scott, William, and Stephen Pollard, Suzanna and James Borck, and Grant and Samuel Holliday; and cousins, Margaret Marston Lott, of El Paso, Texas, and Aileen Marston Stembridge, of Dallas, Texas.

Hester, born in Deport, Texas, on February 27, 1914, was a lifelong member of Asbury United Methodist Church, El Paso, Texas, now renamed Faith United Methodist Church, and a graduate of Stephen F. Austin High School where she was an outstanding student, class officer, and talented choir member. Her love of vocal music led to participation in church and high school choirs and the Texans Chorus where her acquaintance with her future husband blossomed into a romance and marriage in 1938. She and Ralph settled in the Washington, D.C. area where Hester worked at Riggs National Bank for a short time. They had a wonderful marriage and raised three children together, while Hester faithfully accompanied Ralph through his long career of government service with various agencies and tours of duty in Southeast Asia and South America.

She and Ralph taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, and were active members of the Rustin Couples Class of Mt. Vernon Place Methodist Church, Washington, D.C., for many years. They retired to El Paso in 1972, where they both were active in the Kiwanis Club of Horizon City, and sang in the Asbury church choir. Hester enjoyed her participation in the United Methodist Women’s organization there, and her association with the El Paso Women's Club, El Paso Chamber of Commerce, and Austin High School Alumni.

Hester never knew a stranger, always having a kind word for anyone she encountered no matter who, where, or when. She was indeed a “southern lady,� always elegantly dressed and admired for her gentle spirit. Her steadfast faith in the Lord saw her through many family losses and sorrows, and that faith did indeed sustain her. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with all her heart, and audibly prayed for each and every one every day of her life. She was truly a righteous servant of the Lord and has left an indelible Christian legacy that shines through those she has left behind. She now rejoins her loved ones in Heaven and is rejoicing with them.

The family expresses gratitude and thanksgiving for the loving embrace of Blacksburg United Methodist Church and for the tender care Hester received by Medical Associates of Southwest Virginia, Montgomery Regional Hospital, Showalter Center, Kroontje Health Care Center, and Good Samaritan Hospice.

A private memorial service will take place in Blacksburg, Va., and interment at Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso, Texas. Memorial gifts may be made to The Warm Hearth Foundation, Neighbors in Need Fund, 2607 Warm Hearth Drive, Suite 100, Blacksburg, Va. 24060 or Good Samaritan Hospice, 125-E Arrowhead Trail, Christiansburg, Va. 24073.