Mary Esther Jennings Guthrie Boyle

1917 - 2014

MARY ESTHER JENNINGS GUTHRIE BOYLE Born Feb 28, 1917, in Hydro, OK, died on Dec 18, 2014, in Loma Linda, CA. Mary is survived by her daughter, Anne Jennings; 8 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; 12 great, great-grandchildren; and her beloved cat, Joseph. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Boyle; three children, Gwen, Sue, and Bill Guthrie; her step-daughter, Cynthia; 2 grandchildren, Bobby and Billy; and her three adored brothers, Fred, Matt, and Blue. Mary lived an incredible life. Married at 16 during the depression, she was the first wife of folk singer/songwriter Woody Guthrie. They had three children together, and traveled all over the country, living in numerous places, during their 10 year marriage. They survived the dust storms and extreme hardships; they also participated in the making of musical history. A few years after their divorce, Mary's daughter, Anne, was born during her second marriage to P.D. Bailey. In 1964, Mary married Bill Boyle, a decorated WWII veteran. They were married for 47 years; Bill passed away in 2011. Together, Mary and Bill nursed Mary's daughters, Gwen and Sue, through years-long battles (and subsequent deaths) with Huntington's disease; her son, Bill's death due to a train accident; and Mary's step-daughter, Cynthia's death from a car accident. An Irish Wake will be held in celebration of Mary's life on Saturday, Jan 10 at 2pm, at 17496 Star Canyon Court, Riverside, CA, 92503. Because music played such a large part in her life, guests are invited to bring their musical instruments and join in song, as well as their best memories of Mary to share. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to your local animal shelter.