Esther Mae Summers

Esther Summers Our precious mother, Esther Mae Summers, met her Heavenly father on April 23, 2025. She was born on September 2, 1931, to Jabel Robert Baird and Hattie Joan (Ford) Baird: the ninth of their ten children. Growing up in Jefferson, Georgia, she learned to cook and sew at an early age. World War II saw her four brothers enlisting in service, with all of them surviving. Near the end of the war, she met the man who would become the love of her life, Raleigh Wellborn Summers. While he was stationed with the Navy in California on board the U.S.S. Sarasota and the U.S.S Neshoba he wrote to her almost daily. When he was discharged in 1946, he pursued her until they married in the Holiness Church in Jefferson, Georgia on February 9, 1947. Daddy had gone to work for Seaboard Airline Railroad in Birmingham, Alabama (his home town) upon his discharge from the Navy. Mama was adamant that “where he was…she would be also!” They lived in Birmingham where Jean was born in 1949. After moving to Lawrenceville, Georgia, Howard was born in Duluth, Georgia in 1951. The railroad continued to transfer daddy all over the southeastern United States, from Richmond, Virginia to Hamlet, North Carolina. JoAnn and Judy were born in Laurinburg, North Carolina in 1953 and 1955, respectively. Again, we moved to Tampa where Leigh was born in 1956 and Brooksville, Florida and back to Hamlet, North Carolina. During most of those years, daddy would hitch our house trailer (not mobile home) to the family car and we would locate a trailer park to live near his job. There were also a number of railroad “section” houses and rental homes along the way. Finally, the Railroad decided to move us to Bartow, Florida permanently, where daddy would be the roadmaster for the “Bone Valley” (phosphate mining operations) in Polk County. In 1959, we moved into our permanent home on 3 1/3 acres in Connersville about 4 miles outside of Bartow. The house was Mama’s pride and joy. Although they had 5 children, our house was usually inhabited by all of our friends and mama and daddy’s as well. They hosted parties and their square dance friends met in our carport. Weekends were always filled with activities and friends and mama’s great cooking. When Hurricane Donna devastated Bartow in 1960, their friends came to stay with us during the storm. Mama was the glue that kept our family together. She took care of us and our home. If we needed to be at Girl Scouts, choir practice, guitar lessons, cheerleading practice, play practice, baseball practice, doctor appointments, the dentist, she took us. All of this while making 3 meals a day, washing and ironing, cleaning house, and just being our mom. If we needed an outfit for a special event, she made it. If we needed a cheerleading uniform, she made it. If we needed a prom dress, she made it. In the late 1960’s Howard and his friends formed “The Absolutes” band, dad and Mr. Baker would take them on their bus to chaperone the band while they played gigs at Holiday Inns and other adult venues. Mama made all of their beautiful shirts typical of upscale 60’s bands. In 1965, daddy left the railroad. With mama supporting the decision, they started their own company: R.W. Summers Railroad Contractor, Inc. In 2025 the company will celebrate 60 years in the business. Our mother came from a long line of strong independent women. She made sure that we, our daughters, and our granddaughters all understood that we could follow in her footsteps. She was a force to be reckoned with. Thank you Mama. You did good and we are proud of you. Esther was preceded in death by her beloved husband Raleigh, her parents Jabel Robert Baird and Hattie Joan Baird. Her Siblings Lester (Thelma) Baird, Darlene (Guy) Hembree, James (Daisy) Baird, MattieLee (Burton) Baker, Marvin (Catherine) Baird, Edna Webster, Curtistine Bruce, J.R. Baird, Jr. (Bud) (Muraette) and Betty Fleeman, her granddaughter Stevee Jo Mitchell, her son-in-law John Dewinkler. She is survived by her son, Howard Summers (Laura), her daughters, Jean Koger (Bob), JoAnn Dewinkler, Judy Pizza (fiancé, Ray Penge), and Leigh Merritt (Charles). Her grandchildren, Eric Voigt (Erlene), Jason Voigt (Tamara), Kelly Stinson, Nicki Carroll, Karen McLean (Marc), Roy Dan Mitchell II (Ashton), Rick Stepp (Allison O’Neill), Brian Sexton (Sarah), Brad Sexton (Ashley), Alex Pizza (Shelley), Zach Pizza, Bill Merritt (Dana) and Angela Lovering (Brant). She is survived by her great-grandchildren Carldon (Alicia), Avery, Madison, Taylor (Blake), Siddalee, Josh, Austin, Riley, Logan (Hannah), Dalton, Zoe, Adelyn, Grady, Bryce, Ava, Kipton, Kade, Tinley, Seamus, Cormac, Eve, Kaila, Alyssa, Rayce, Tyler, Ezio, Ryan (Kaitlyn), Julia, Brock and Bayleigh. She is survived by her great-great grandchildren Riley, Charlotte and Roman. Family will receive friends Monday, April 28, 2025 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at First Baptist Church, 410 East Church Street in Bartow, FL. Funeral service will follow at 11:00 am Monday, April 28, 2025 at First Baptist Church. Burial at Oak Hill Cemetery in Lakeland, FL. Condolences to the Family at www.whiddenmcleanfuneralhome.com