Maria Ester Tejada, Presente!
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
It is with much sadness that I share these words with you. On Sunday March 8, 2009, in the early hours of the morning on International Womyns Day, the international movement for the liberation of all oppressed people's lost a fierce womyn warrior--Maria Ester Tejada.
Going Home
Esther was in El Salvador helping get out the vote for this weekend's upcoming presidential election. She had gone home to support the Frente Farabundo Marti para Liberación Nacional (FMLN) presidential candidate Mauricio Funes. She died in her sleep the night after a huge celebration of their elections work and on the last day allowed for campaigning pre-election day with over 300,000 other supporters.
Remembering: Camarada del SDP
In the last 3 years, I had the pleasure of being Ester's Bus Riders Union contact and I'm sure each one of you can attest to her sense of humor, commitment, sarcasm, loud voice and overall fierceness!!
Ester had been a key member with the Bus Riders Union since 2003 when she was recruited by her good friend and Salvadoreña camarada Maria Guardado. Since they were both "Maria," she asked to be called "Ester" instead. She used to tease her friend Maria for always stealing the camera's attention. But yesterday, Maria came into the office and told us, "Look at her now, she's on the front page of Hoy."
Ester organized on the buses, testified at MTA and City Hall, represented the Pico Union community, was a member of the BRU mailing committee and an important internationalist pole inside our monthly membership meetings.
She was always wise cracking and yet always ready to do her part in building a multi-racial grassroots progressive movement in Los Angeles. Beyond her work with the Bus Riders Union, she had been a very active organizer in the FMLN's community-based committees established in Los Angeles in 2004 - which organized study circles, movie nights and fundraiser. Ester was also a key leader of Coalition LA and had volunteered at Clinica Monseñor Romero to improve her neighborhood. She will be surely missed!
Memorial Service
Ester was buried on Monday in her motherland...please keep her family in your prayers...we will be planning a memorium for the BRU monthly meeting on March 21st to pay homage to a fierce womyn warrior and now ancestor.
Maria Ester Tejada, Presente!
Comments
On April 4th, 2009 Lorena Cristabel Tejada Jarquin (not verified) said:
Dear mom,
We will always love you, we will keep you in our life for ever!!
Love Youuuuuuuu!!
On March 23rd, 2009 Anonymous said:
i luv my aunt i am goin to miss her..
she was the life of the parteeee,,
she made everyone laugh with her sarcasm
and loud voice..i lUv u and i am goin to miss you TIA
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I DID NOT KNOW HER AS 'ESTER"I ALWAYS KNEW AS OR CALLED HER BY HECTOR'S MOM WHICH IS HER ONE AND ONLY SON. IM BESTFRIENDS WITH HER SON'S WIFE. THE CHANCES THAT I GOT TO SPEAK TO HER WAS WHEN SHE WAS SPENDING TIME WITH GRANDCHILDREN WHICH I KNOW SHE WILL TRUELY WATCH OVER THEM.TO THIS DAY THE KIDS STILL ASK FOR THERE GRANDMA. SHE WAS FUN TO TALK TO SHE WAS NEVER AFRAID TO SAY WHAT SHE FELT OR THOUGHT.I WAS IN SHOCK WHEN I RECIEVED THAT CALL AROUND ONE IN THE MORNNING THAT SHE HAD PASSED IT JUST UNBELIEVEABLE ! SHE HAD SO MUCH ENERGY FOR HER AGE THAT I SURE DONT HAVE AND ALWAYS KEPT HER WORD IF SHE WAS GOING TO THIER FOR HER GRANDKIDS AT A CERTAIN TIME THERE SHE WAS ,SHE NEVER FAILED. THE TURTH IS THAT I KNEW SHE WOULD GO TO PROTEST AND STUFF BUT I DONT KNOW WHERE SHE FOUND THE TIME AND ENERGY TO BE SO INVOVLED? BUT ONE THING THAT I KNOW,WAS SHE WAS
ALWAYS ON THE GO.
YOU WILL BE MISSED!
IN LOVEING MEMORY OF
MARIA ESTER TEJADA
"HECTORS MOM'