My Mother's Friend Emma

Emma was a dear friend to my mother, the late Leslie Williams.  I know how much my Mom enjoyed being in the Fiber Arts Guild with Emma and seeing her at church.  When Mom and I were working on something together we would stop in Tayo's because Mom told me the shop carried the best quality fabric.  Emma was one of the first direct examples to me as a young girl of a successful woman in business who I knew personally from my mother's friendship with her and from church.

I know how much Mom admired Emma's talent in the fiber arts.  When there was a special project my mother was working on, she would consult Emma to get her thoughts on what might work the best.  Emma worked so hard to get the quilt my Aunt Laura made for my mother bound quickly and personally delivered it to me to give to my mother before she passed away.

One summer when I was home from college I got an internship at a local newspaper with zero experience as a journalist. Working for free to build my résumé, I somehow managed to convince the editors to give me a shot at writing a feature article about a local personality.  I was a nervous wreck trying to think of interesting people to interview who would consent to let someone who had never actually interviewed anyone officially for a story.  Mom suggested I interview Emma because of her renown as a fiber artist.  Emma was so kind to my awkward first attempts at reporting and interviewing.  When I made the unforgiveable mistake of spelling her name wrong in the newspaper, I called her to try to explain my stupidity and apologize.  She was so gracious and understanding in my humiliation, and I learned a good lesson and made sure I never repeated that mistake again. Her patience helped give me the confidence to go on to be recognized as one of the best reporters for the city beat at The Daily Universe at Brigham Young University during my stint writing for the newspaper at the university. I don't know if I would have been able to be as confident without having that first experience interviewing and writing about Emma in Fair Oaks.

During the interview for the newspaper article, I could see how much Emma loved her husband, Ted.  She couldn't help but point out the many beautiful art pieces of his own creation while I interviewed her about her work as a fiber artist and her many accomplishments in the field.  She did not tire in bringing attention to his many fine attributes and qualities and seeing that he received recognition for his many contributions to her life and their home on Sunset Avenue (at the time).  I even remember her telling me about how he had handcrafted their decorative fence on the property and the many plants he gave special attention to in their yard and garden.  She was so proud of him that she even suggested I write a future article about his work (although my short-lived internship didn't last to permit me to do so before I returned to school).

Thank you Emma, for the friend you were to my mother and for the example you are to me.

Melanie (Williams) Wilson, daughter of Bruce and Leslie Williams