Mrs. Esther Carolyn Mosby

Her Journey: Esther Carolyn Mosby was born in Marianna, Arkansas on February 3, 1934 to Felix and Lillie Mat Smith Carpenter. She grew up on a 323-acre family-owned farm in Tyronza, Arkansas. Esther was the eldest of five brothers and one sister. She graduated third in her class from Robert R. Moton High School in 1952, one of the few high schools in the area for African Americans. Esther married Lemmie Lee Mosby on December 29, 1952. The couple was married 61 years. In 1953, Lemmie moved his bride to Detroit to make a better life for himself and his family. He soon found a job at General Motors where he worked until he retired in September 1993. Seven children were born to this union: Lillie Mae, Gwendolyn, Denise, Beverly, Daniel, Cheryl and Melanie. Esther instilled in them a faith in God, strong character and a belief in themselves. Most important is the love and nurturing the children knew they could always depend on Esther to provide. She was the strong force that held the family together. Esther developed interests in travel and reading and also encouraged her children in these areas. As a result of Esther’s great influence over their lives, the children continued their studies beyond high school. Because Esther loved people and was basically a nurturer who enjoyed hands-on teaching and performing care-taking tasks, nursing was chosen as her lifelong career in which she worked for 32 years. In 1965, she enrolled at the Detroit Practical Nursing Center to become a Licensed Practical Nurse, at a time when a married woman enrolling into the program was frowned upon and discouraged. She later enrolled in the Associate of Arts in Nursing Degree Program at Wayne County Community College. Esther graduated in 1974, the first class to graduate with state accreditation. During that same year, she passed the State Nursing Board exam. Esther obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Wayne State University in 1984. Detroit Memorial Hospital hired Esther in 1965 and she continued her employment there until 1988 including nursing supervisor on the midnight shift and clinical supervisor in the Obstetrics-Gynecological Department. A few years before she left, the hospital moved to a new facility on Jefferson Avenue and changed its name to Detroit Riverview Hospital. From 1973 to 1976 Esther worked part-time in a second job at Hutzel Hospital. Not only was she attending college, but during this time four children were also enrolled in college. Esther worked at the Michigan Health Care Corporation in the Medical/Surgical Division from 1989 to 1997 and served her last two years in an administrative position. Esther also worked at the Lifeline of Chicago Unit at the hospital, a unit charged with the responsibility of treating substance-dependent patients. She wanted to do all she could in a non-threatening environment to help them and the many families in the Detroit metropolitan area who are in some way touched by this disease. During her career, Esther was a member of the Black Nurses Association and the National Association of American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NAACOG), an organization whose primary purpose is the development of treatment for prenatal mothers and neonatal infants up to two years old. Among her accomplishments with NAACOG was the development and implementation of the 961-BABY program where she was part of a six-member committee in 1980 that pursued efforts to reduce the low birth weight and high mortality rate of infants in the Detroit metropolitan area who died within one year from birth. Esther participated in lobbying efforts in Lansing to have legislation implemented that would allow a mother-to-be under 18 years of age to sign for her prenatal treatment without the necessity of going through the court system in order to become an emancipated minor. Lobbying efforts were successful, and the legislation became effective in 1982. Explorers of America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) won Esther’s heart in 1983. She so much wanted to contribute in making a difference in shaping the lives of the young men and women in this area, that she became involved in a program which assisted high school students in determining their career paths. Esther accepted Christ at a young age and had fond memories of her childhood church, Emory’s Chapel. She was a member of the Word of Faith International Christian Center until her health failed. She knew that it was her faith in God that helped strengthen her through life’s valleys and mountains, and for that she was forever thankful.

Mrs. Esther Carolyn Mosby

February 3, 1934 - June 7, 2014