Esther Evina Hayes

Esther Evina Hayes (née McKenzie) passed away peacefully on August 15, 2024 in Layton, UT. She was 97.

 Esther was an enrolled member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma. Her Kiowa name is “Ah-Kaun-do-nah.” This name was passed down to her from her paternal grandmother. At the time of her death, she was the oldest living full-blooded Kiowa. The Kiowa Tribe honored her for this on March 23, 2023.

 Esther was born on December 27, 1926 in Lawton, OK to Dr. Parker McKenzie (Kiowa name “Yi-saum”) and Nettie (Odlety) McKenzie (Kiowa name “Kau-goot”). She grew up in the Anadarko, OK area; graduating from Anadarko High School. In 1948, Esther earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University). 

 On April 15, 1949, she married James (Jim) Weeks Hayes in San Diego, CA. Esther was a Navy wife for more than 27 years while Jim served in submarines. She and Jim were married for nearly 45 years before he passed in March 1994.

 Esther and Jim had six daughters. Esther raised them during Jim’s frequent deployments. She taught them life skills, drove them to practices and supported them at their events and competitions.

 Esther served as a member of the Navy Wives’ Club and as a Girl Scout troop leader. 

 A skilled seamstress, Esther designed and sewed many of her daughters’ fashions, including costumes, cheerleading uniforms, formal gowns, and wedding dresses. She lovingly made many beautiful quilts for her family.

 Esther’s hobbies included sewing, quilting, crocheting, knitting, and gardening. She enjoyed doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles and reading quilting magazines. She loved music. She enjoyed playing the piano, singing in the church choir, and listening to operas. 

 Sports was something Esther always enjoyed. She bowled and played tennis. She taught her daughters how to play tennis and how to ice skate. She loved watching her daughters play sports. She enjoyed watching sports on TV throughout her life. The televised sports she enjoyed were basketball (especially the Oklahoma Thunder), baseball, the Olympics, golf, and tennis. She particularly liked watching the annual Oklahoma State University vs Oklahoma football game; always cheering for OSU. 

 In her later years, Esther enjoyed reading her newspaper and the Readers Digest.

 Esther is survived by her daughters: Monica Brown and her husband Erroll of Virginia; Mercedes (Mercy) Jenner and her husband Gene of Utah; Marsha Portelance and her husband Mike of Colorado; Micki Hayes of California; Melissa Shkidt and her husband Alexei; Marguerite Lampone and her husband Joey of Wisconsin; 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

 Esther is preceded in death by her husband Jim Hayes; her brothers: Wilford (Bill) McKenzie, Allen Robert (Bob) McKenzie, Henry (Hank) McKenzie; her sister: Kathryn Collier, and her grandson John Hayes.

 Memorial services will be held on Tuesday September 24, 2024 at 1:00 pm (central time) at the Smith Funeral Home Chapel in Anadarko, OK. The Reverend Andrew Ware officiating. 

 Esther will be interred in the McKenzie Family burial plot in Memory Lane Cemetery in Anadarko, OK.