M. Estalene Rayburn

M. Estalene Rayburn, 76, passed away April 15, 2007 at home. The daughter of Lloyd Rush Summers and Esther Ellen Howard, she wasborn August 2, 1930 at Tulia, Swisher County.Estalene loved the Lord, and she lived her religion every day. She read her Bible faithfully. She made her profession of faith in 1940while living in Sweetwater. Her faith remained steadfast throughout her life including the time she was battling cancer. She nevercomplained and always kept an optimistic attitude. Estalene was a children's Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher whileliving in Wink and Monahans and also in Hobbs, N.M..In 1943, at the age of 13, Estalene became ill from the dreaded disease "infantile paralysis," commonly known as "polio." She recovered from this disease, but the effects were lasting and she would cope with some muscle loss for the rest of her life. But sometimes, tragedy can also bring about some good things. Her battleto recover from polio and later post polio syndrome provided the impetus for Estalene to develop unusual inner strength and ability tocope when unexpected bad things happen. All her life, including her recent battle with cancer, she was able to remain strong in her faith,and to never give up. While she was weak from lack of muscles, she was an extremely strong person in the face of great obstacles. She credited the early influence of her Christian mother's tough love for her grit, fortitude, and determination to overcome any problem.She graduated from Roscoe High School in 1947 and then attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. She graduated fromHardin-Simmons in 1951 with a B.S. degree and double major in Chemistry and Business Administration. Graduate work was latercompleted to obtain a Texas Teacher's Certificate.Estalene Summers married her high school sweetheart, Ernest David "Dave" Rayburn, on July 15, 1951 at the First Baptist Church inRoscoe. Estalene and Dave celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary last year.After marriage, they first lived in Snyder. Dave worked for Pan American Production Co. and Estalene worked as a chart integrator forSunray Gasoline Plant and later as secretary for Tex-Mex Pipeline Co.Estalene then obtained a teacher's certificate so she could be at home when the children were at home. She was a full-time teacher of math and science for 14 years in Monahans and Hobbs, N.M.. She was a part-time teacher in Wink and Houston.During their marriage, Estalene and Dave Rayburn made job related moves 16 times. This included work assignments in West Texas, Eastern New Mexico, Michigan, Houston, and overseas locations of Adelaide and Sydney, Australia and Nairobi, Kenya. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lloyd Rush Summers in 1967 and Esther Ellen (Howard) Summers in 1978.Survivors include her her husband, Ernest David "Dave" Rayburn; three children, David R. & Beth (Fitch) of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Estalene Cherie Rayburn of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Raegan Keith & Elizabeth (Klugh) Rayburnof Fayetteville, N.C.; and five grand-children, Rachel, Nathaniel, & Elizabeth Rayburn of Tulsa, Okla. and Sam & Allison Rayburn ofFayetteville, N.C.Funeral services are scheduled 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 19, 2007 at White's Chapel of Memories, Weatherford. Interment services will be 11 a.m. Friday in Roscoe Cemetery, Roscoe, Texas. Visitation will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.