Esther Joy WardDecember 30, 1933 - July 7, 2010Esther Joy Ward was born to Harold Rodney and Myrtle Martin on December 30, 1933 in Lakeport, California.  Esther was baptized into the Followers of Christ Church in Oregon City, Oregon in 1945.  Esther graduated from High school in Hailey, Idaho in 1951.  She went to work for the Telephone Company in Mountain Home, Idaho for a short period of time.  She then went on to start a career by attending Beauty College.In a first marriage to Bill McMahon in 1958 they lived and traveled overseas in Portugal and Spain for about a year.  Esther loved life overseas and she talked about this experience of a lifetime to all who would listen.  She and Bill were married about 5 years but it ended in divorce.Esther met Ralph Clinton Ward in 1966, and on May 27, 1967 they were married in Monterey, California.  They had 25 years together.  He preceded her in death on October 15, 1992.Esther loved to paint.  She painted all sorts of flowers and floral arrangements, old barns, old buildings, boats and ocean scenes, and carousel horses.  She had a small collection of porcelain carousels.An ordinary day on the beach with shoes in hand and bare feet walking in the sand was considered one of the best days in her life.  There were many of those days when she lived on the coast.  She enjoyed hours of being alone and walking on the beach.  Not always alone as she had her dog Adam with her.Esther left this world, Wednesday, July 7, 2010.  She is preceded in death by her parents Harold and Myrtle Martin, her husband Ralph Ward, two sisters, Donna Jensen and Edith Gooding; sister in law Pam Martin; brother in law Bill Gooding; two nephews Tony Jensen and Eric Jensen; two nieces Joni Hanna and Tisha Shippy.Esther leaves behind one sister Birdie Hurst and husband H.B. of Boulder City, Nevada; two brothers Norman Martin and wife Frieda of Nampa, Idaho and Bruce Martin and wife Rama of Montrose, Colorado as well as a multitude of nieces and nephews and numerous friends.Esther will be buried at the Sandridge Cemetery in Lebanon, Oregon.