Individual Details
Essie Elizabeth FURR
(17 Oct 1907 - 3 May 1929)
Essie Elizabeth Furr was the first daughter born to Green Paul (“Dean”) Furr and Mary Catherine Hathcock, on 17 October 1907, in Bloomington, North Carolina. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was welcomed by two brothers, Carl and Vernon.
Essie was a pretty child with lots of black hair and soft brown eyes. Her mother remembered, “She was a kind, lovable little child. She was never cross or irritable.” Essie grew to be a petite, slender girl with lovely features, and small, beautiful hands; an olive complexion and a gentle, shy personality. She loved books and people, and had a great love for all her kinfolk.
Just three months prior to Essie’s birth, her mother Mary, grandmother Eliza Jane, and Mary’s sister Anna had been baptized together as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Two and a half years later, her father Dean was also baptized.
When Essie was 6 months old, the Furr family moved to Albemarle, N. Carolina. When she was about a year old she had a very sick spell, which her mother suspected as being pneumonia.
When Essie was two years old, a second darling daughter was born to the Furrs whom they named Ruth. Six months later, the Furrs left their North Carolina home. Dean reports: “The spirit of gathering [with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] came over us. On April 10, 1910, I with my wife and children – Carl, Vernon, Essie and Ruth started for Rigby Idaho,” living on a farm in the LaBelle section. Many in the Hathcock family joined them in Idaho as well. Dean purchased and operated a General Merchandise store.
The 7 years that the Furr's spent in Idaho were very happy ones. Dean and Mary got along well, and the family had a great time playing baseball together – Dean would throw, Mary would catch. Coyotes could be heard howling all over the area.
Tragically, they had only been in Idaho for about 5 weeks when baby Ruth died. This caused deep sorrow to Dean, Mary, and the children.
A year after arriving in the west, Essie’s brother Cecil was born. The family moved to the dry farming community of Poplar, Idaho, and lived on 320 acres. Here Dean could build a nice modern house with wired electricity (one single light bulb), as the store had been prosperous.
In September 1913, at the same time that Essie’s baby brother Paul was born, she started school at age six. Dean remembered: “The children walked a half mile to school every day, even through the frigid Idaho hail and snow.” Mary recalled: “Once when she was on her way to school she accidentally stepped in a wagon rut that had frozen, her foot caught in the ice and she couldn’t get free herself as she stood there and cried until [Mary’s cousin] Will Carter heard her and went and brought her home.”
Essie liked to play house. She liked playing “Lady”, coming in a room just like the neighbors did. Then she would excuse herself and say, “I have to go home and wash my dishes.” Essie also liked playing “jacks” and could play for hours at a time.
Essie liked to go to Sunday School and Primary. She was baptized by her father on Sunday, 17 Oct 1917 (at age 10) in a large canal that ran by their Poplar home. She was confirmed that afternoon in sacrament meeting.
On a cold, snowy March night in 1917, Essie’s sister Mary made her debut. Because of WWI, there wasn’t enough coal to keep the house warm. Mom had had enough. She declared, “Dad, let’s get out of here, it’s too blame cold!” So in November 1917, before the next winter set in, the Furr and Hathcock families, 2 horses, a cow, a dog, and two big boxes of apples, headed south to the nice winter climate of Arizona.
When they first arrived in Mesa, they stayed with the Elijah Allen family for a few days. The Allens had a daughter, Vilate, who was Essie’s age. They became good friends and always remained close. Elijah Allen sold Dean a red brick home on Chandler Road (now about 915 south Country Club Drive) with 20 acres. Essie and Vilate spent many Sunday afternoons playing together.
In October 1919, baby Quentin was born to the family. How they loved this baby and were heartbroken when he passed away at only 7 months old.
At a young age, Essie started taking piano and organ lessons with Mrs. Iva Stone. She learned rapidly and soon she became quite good. She studied some with Mr. Walter W Bond, but it wasn’t long before he said that she was advanced beyond his ability to teach her.
Essie also learned to crochet. She did beautiful embroidery work and created several nice pieces.
She attended the Franklin School in Mesa, and was a good student, especially in Spanish. One morning while bicycling on her way to school, Essie was hit by a car and knocked off her bike. She was hurt but not seriously.
After graduating from the 8th grade at Franklin, Essie started attending Mesa Union High School. In 1921, another brother was born to the family, Edgar Grant.
Essie taught herself to play a number of instruments. She also owned and learned how to play a banjolele. This was a popular instrument in the 1920’s which had a small banjo type body, a fretted ukelele neck, and four strings.
But mostly, Essie developed into quite an accomplished pianist. As her musical gifts flourished, she became widely sought after. She accompanied many fine singers in music circles in the 1920’s. Walter Bond had a group of musicians who played classical music for many occasions all over the valley. The members were: 1st Violin: Leona Pomerey; 2nd Violin, Vilate Allen; Viola, Walter Bond; Cello, Naomi Pomeroy; and Piano, Essie Furr and Letty Bond. Essie was Mr. Harry Harelson’s choice as an accompanist for the Mesa High Choruses and Orchestra. She also played for many funerals and Stake Conferences. Essie also served as the Mesa 3rd Ward organist for Sunday School, Church and Mutual.
She would always go whenever she was asked by anyone to play the piano for them. Once she even got out of her sick bed when asked to accompany someone who was singing. Essie also gave music lessons at home. She was so kind and patient with the children; everyone liked the way that she taught.
While in High School, Essie would travel with a group of other girls to Salt Lake City for church youth music festivals and competitions. While there, she accompanied several people and choruses on the piano She also had a beautiful singing voice. Among the friends from the Third Ward that she performed with were: Fern and Faun Ellsworth, Gladys Pomeroy, Ila Mae Hill, Jessie and Maurine Clark, and Zina Cummard. Essie had many other friends, among them: Zola Stapely, Esther Huber, and Sophie Morris. One of her favorite teachers was Leathe Whipple.
Essie graduated from Mesa High with the class of 1925. At the ceremony, she played the piano for Bettie Vareie singing “Ave Maria”. Essie's boyfriend Orin Barney gave her a beautiful watch as a graduation gift.
In 1926, the Furrs made their last move into a nice $5,000 brick home (a lot of money for back then) in Mesa, as Dean had now turned to the Real Estate business. Their housewarming gift was none other than then birth of their 10th and last child, James “Angus”. But the following year, the family was again heartbroken when Essie's brother, young Paul passed away at the age of 13.
The community had been laboring for a number of years with great joy and anticipation to have a house of the Lord in their midst. Upon the final completion of the Mesa Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Essie had the honor of being the organist at the Temple dedication on October 23, 1927.
In 1926 Essie had met a young man named Var O. Buchanan from Blackfoot, Idaho while he was serving a church mission in Arizona. When he was released they still wrote to each other and kept company. Friendship blossomed into love, and the two were married on June 7, 1928 in the new Arizona Temple. Essie was 20 years old, and Var was 24.
The Buchanans built their first home at 130 N. Robson Street. They designed an L shaped living room because Essie’s dream was to purchase a harp just for that certain spot, then learn how to play it.
Essie liked to be busy and didn’t like to be idle. She worked during the day for Mr. Cummard and then when she left his office, she continued working in her home. With the money, she earned enough to buy drapes and carpet for their new home.
Essie liked to do things for other people. When a family friend, Mr. Gibbons heard her play the piano, he asked her to play for his funeral. However when he died, she was disappointed that she couldn’t get out of work and play for him.
On April 30, 1929, Essie became a mother, giving birth to a dear baby boy whom they named Dean Osborn Buchanan. But Essie ran into trouble and developed albumin poisoning. As her life faded, she begged her mother for water, but the doctor forbid it, saying that water would harm her further. She passed away three days after giving birth at the age of 21, and just 11 months to the day of her marriage. Her passing was a shock and a deep sorrow to her family and to the community who all loved her dearly.
Var and his parents moved back to Blackfoot with baby Dean where he was raised. Like his mother, Dean grew up to be a musician.He was highlighted on Salt Lake City’s KSL TV, playing the piano on “The Dotty and Dean Show”.
Even years after her passing, Essie was fondly remembered as a quiet, kind and gentle soul with great talent and one of the most accomplished pianists in the community. She was a very religious girl who loved Jesus Christ and His gospel, and she lived it.
- Compiled by Nancy Hendrickson (Niece), based on the writings of Mary C. Hathcock Furr (Mother), Beatrice Hathcock Hanse (Aunt), Helen Hathcock Crismon (Cousin), Dean Furr (father), and memories from siblings.
Essie was a pretty child with lots of black hair and soft brown eyes. Her mother remembered, “She was a kind, lovable little child. She was never cross or irritable.” Essie grew to be a petite, slender girl with lovely features, and small, beautiful hands; an olive complexion and a gentle, shy personality. She loved books and people, and had a great love for all her kinfolk.
Just three months prior to Essie’s birth, her mother Mary, grandmother Eliza Jane, and Mary’s sister Anna had been baptized together as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Two and a half years later, her father Dean was also baptized.
When Essie was 6 months old, the Furr family moved to Albemarle, N. Carolina. When she was about a year old she had a very sick spell, which her mother suspected as being pneumonia.
When Essie was two years old, a second darling daughter was born to the Furrs whom they named Ruth. Six months later, the Furrs left their North Carolina home. Dean reports: “The spirit of gathering [with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] came over us. On April 10, 1910, I with my wife and children – Carl, Vernon, Essie and Ruth started for Rigby Idaho,” living on a farm in the LaBelle section. Many in the Hathcock family joined them in Idaho as well. Dean purchased and operated a General Merchandise store.
The 7 years that the Furr's spent in Idaho were very happy ones. Dean and Mary got along well, and the family had a great time playing baseball together – Dean would throw, Mary would catch. Coyotes could be heard howling all over the area.
Tragically, they had only been in Idaho for about 5 weeks when baby Ruth died. This caused deep sorrow to Dean, Mary, and the children.
A year after arriving in the west, Essie’s brother Cecil was born. The family moved to the dry farming community of Poplar, Idaho, and lived on 320 acres. Here Dean could build a nice modern house with wired electricity (one single light bulb), as the store had been prosperous.
In September 1913, at the same time that Essie’s baby brother Paul was born, she started school at age six. Dean remembered: “The children walked a half mile to school every day, even through the frigid Idaho hail and snow.” Mary recalled: “Once when she was on her way to school she accidentally stepped in a wagon rut that had frozen, her foot caught in the ice and she couldn’t get free herself as she stood there and cried until [Mary’s cousin] Will Carter heard her and went and brought her home.”
Essie liked to play house. She liked playing “Lady”, coming in a room just like the neighbors did. Then she would excuse herself and say, “I have to go home and wash my dishes.” Essie also liked playing “jacks” and could play for hours at a time.
Essie liked to go to Sunday School and Primary. She was baptized by her father on Sunday, 17 Oct 1917 (at age 10) in a large canal that ran by their Poplar home. She was confirmed that afternoon in sacrament meeting.
On a cold, snowy March night in 1917, Essie’s sister Mary made her debut. Because of WWI, there wasn’t enough coal to keep the house warm. Mom had had enough. She declared, “Dad, let’s get out of here, it’s too blame cold!” So in November 1917, before the next winter set in, the Furr and Hathcock families, 2 horses, a cow, a dog, and two big boxes of apples, headed south to the nice winter climate of Arizona.
When they first arrived in Mesa, they stayed with the Elijah Allen family for a few days. The Allens had a daughter, Vilate, who was Essie’s age. They became good friends and always remained close. Elijah Allen sold Dean a red brick home on Chandler Road (now about 915 south Country Club Drive) with 20 acres. Essie and Vilate spent many Sunday afternoons playing together.
In October 1919, baby Quentin was born to the family. How they loved this baby and were heartbroken when he passed away at only 7 months old.
At a young age, Essie started taking piano and organ lessons with Mrs. Iva Stone. She learned rapidly and soon she became quite good. She studied some with Mr. Walter W Bond, but it wasn’t long before he said that she was advanced beyond his ability to teach her.
Essie also learned to crochet. She did beautiful embroidery work and created several nice pieces.
She attended the Franklin School in Mesa, and was a good student, especially in Spanish. One morning while bicycling on her way to school, Essie was hit by a car and knocked off her bike. She was hurt but not seriously.
After graduating from the 8th grade at Franklin, Essie started attending Mesa Union High School. In 1921, another brother was born to the family, Edgar Grant.
Essie taught herself to play a number of instruments. She also owned and learned how to play a banjolele. This was a popular instrument in the 1920’s which had a small banjo type body, a fretted ukelele neck, and four strings.
But mostly, Essie developed into quite an accomplished pianist. As her musical gifts flourished, she became widely sought after. She accompanied many fine singers in music circles in the 1920’s. Walter Bond had a group of musicians who played classical music for many occasions all over the valley. The members were: 1st Violin: Leona Pomerey; 2nd Violin, Vilate Allen; Viola, Walter Bond; Cello, Naomi Pomeroy; and Piano, Essie Furr and Letty Bond. Essie was Mr. Harry Harelson’s choice as an accompanist for the Mesa High Choruses and Orchestra. She also played for many funerals and Stake Conferences. Essie also served as the Mesa 3rd Ward organist for Sunday School, Church and Mutual.
She would always go whenever she was asked by anyone to play the piano for them. Once she even got out of her sick bed when asked to accompany someone who was singing. Essie also gave music lessons at home. She was so kind and patient with the children; everyone liked the way that she taught.
While in High School, Essie would travel with a group of other girls to Salt Lake City for church youth music festivals and competitions. While there, she accompanied several people and choruses on the piano She also had a beautiful singing voice. Among the friends from the Third Ward that she performed with were: Fern and Faun Ellsworth, Gladys Pomeroy, Ila Mae Hill, Jessie and Maurine Clark, and Zina Cummard. Essie had many other friends, among them: Zola Stapely, Esther Huber, and Sophie Morris. One of her favorite teachers was Leathe Whipple.
Essie graduated from Mesa High with the class of 1925. At the ceremony, she played the piano for Bettie Vareie singing “Ave Maria”. Essie's boyfriend Orin Barney gave her a beautiful watch as a graduation gift.
In 1926, the Furrs made their last move into a nice $5,000 brick home (a lot of money for back then) in Mesa, as Dean had now turned to the Real Estate business. Their housewarming gift was none other than then birth of their 10th and last child, James “Angus”. But the following year, the family was again heartbroken when Essie's brother, young Paul passed away at the age of 13.
The community had been laboring for a number of years with great joy and anticipation to have a house of the Lord in their midst. Upon the final completion of the Mesa Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Essie had the honor of being the organist at the Temple dedication on October 23, 1927.
In 1926 Essie had met a young man named Var O. Buchanan from Blackfoot, Idaho while he was serving a church mission in Arizona. When he was released they still wrote to each other and kept company. Friendship blossomed into love, and the two were married on June 7, 1928 in the new Arizona Temple. Essie was 20 years old, and Var was 24.
The Buchanans built their first home at 130 N. Robson Street. They designed an L shaped living room because Essie’s dream was to purchase a harp just for that certain spot, then learn how to play it.
Essie liked to be busy and didn’t like to be idle. She worked during the day for Mr. Cummard and then when she left his office, she continued working in her home. With the money, she earned enough to buy drapes and carpet for their new home.
Essie liked to do things for other people. When a family friend, Mr. Gibbons heard her play the piano, he asked her to play for his funeral. However when he died, she was disappointed that she couldn’t get out of work and play for him.
On April 30, 1929, Essie became a mother, giving birth to a dear baby boy whom they named Dean Osborn Buchanan. But Essie ran into trouble and developed albumin poisoning. As her life faded, she begged her mother for water, but the doctor forbid it, saying that water would harm her further. She passed away three days after giving birth at the age of 21, and just 11 months to the day of her marriage. Her passing was a shock and a deep sorrow to her family and to the community who all loved her dearly.
Var and his parents moved back to Blackfoot with baby Dean where he was raised. Like his mother, Dean grew up to be a musician.He was highlighted on Salt Lake City’s KSL TV, playing the piano on “The Dotty and Dean Show”.
Even years after her passing, Essie was fondly remembered as a quiet, kind and gentle soul with great talent and one of the most accomplished pianists in the community. She was a very religious girl who loved Jesus Christ and His gospel, and she lived it.
- Compiled by Nancy Hendrickson (Niece), based on the writings of Mary C. Hathcock Furr (Mother), Beatrice Hathcock Hanse (Aunt), Helen Hathcock Crismon (Cousin), Dean Furr (father), and memories from siblings.
Events
| Birth | 17 Oct 1907 | Bloomington, Stanly County, NC | |||
| Marriage | 7 Jun 1928 | Mesa, Maricopa County, AZ - Var Osmond BUCHANAN |  | ||
| Death | 3 May 1929 | Mesa, Maricopa County, AZ |  | | |
| Burial | City of Mesa Cemetery, Mesa, Maricopa County, AZ | |
Families
| Spouse | Var Osmond BUCHANAN (1903 - 1981) |
| Child | Dean Osmond BUCHANAN (1929 - 1966) |
| Father | Green Paul "Dean" FURR (1879 - 1966) |
| Mother | Mary Catherine HATHCOCK (1881 - 1972) |
| Sibling | Carl Jethro FURR (1903 - 1991) |
| Sibling | Vernon Cornelius FURR (1905 - 1988) |
| Sibling | Ruth FURR (1909 - 1910) |
| Sibling | Cecil Ray FURR (1911 - 1987) |
| Sibling | Green Paul FURR Jr. (1913 - 1927) |
| Sibling | Mary FURR (1917 - 2006) |
| Sibling | Kenneth Quentin FURR (1919 - 1920) |
| Sibling | Edgar Grant "Eddie" FURR (1921 - 1990) |
| Sibling | James Angus FURR (1926 - 1996) |
Notes
Death
MESA. — Essie Furr Buchanan, 21, wife of Var B. Buchanan, died Friday night at the family home, 132 North Robson street, following a serious illness of four days duration. Surviving her are an infant son, born Tuesday, her husband, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. P. Furr, of 165 West Second avenue, a sister, Mary Furr, and several brothers. An older brother, Carl Furr, is now a student at Brigham Young University in Utah. Mrs. Buchanan was a graduate of Mesa high school and was an accomplished pianist. She was Maricopa stake organist for many years and for a short while was organist at the Arizona Temple. She was married to Var B. Buchanan about a year ago in the Temple at Salt Lake City and the young people have since made their home here. Buchanan was in charge of the office of the John Cummard Realty company. The father of Buchanan is expected to arrive here Monday from his home in Idaho. Funeral services will be held Tuesday afternoon from the Mesa third ward chapel.The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, May 5, 1929
Endnotes
1. "Arizona, County Marriages, 1871-1964." Database with images. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 27 November 2020.
2. "Arizona Deaths, 1870-1963", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLJB-64H : Sat Mar 09 17:31:40 UTC 2024).
3. findagrave.com.