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Esther Yanez’s mural. Showing damage in the center.
Sometimes, it’s all about family connections.
Over the Thanksgiving break, Esther Yanez’s daughter, Jennifer Suarez, came from Florida to visit her grandparents in the Copper Basin area and decided to visit the school where her mother painted the Lobo murals back in 1978.
Jennifer Suarez begins work on her mom’s mural.
While admiring her mother’s paintings, Jennifer noticed there was a patch of one of the Lobo missing. When asked what happened, she was told that there was a hole that had been patched up but no one was ever able to repaint the Lobo, leaving him looking a bit like Humpty Dumpty.
More repairs.
Jennifer asked if she could paint and fix the Lobo.
The school said, “Absolutely!”
Repairs are complete.
Jennifer’s mom, Esther, who graduated from Hayden High School in 1971, was the original designer and painter of the Lobos. They have hung in proud honor since 1978. Esther passed away last year and it was a special honor for her daughter to repair the Lobo with her Aunt Jeannie.
A close up of Esther’s signature.
A plaque was presented at Friday night’s game to Esther Yanez’s family along with a promise the school intends to keep: at any time that the murals need a repair, the school will only call Jennifer to repair them.
Esther’s family honored at the last home game for Hayden this season.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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