Mary Laurie Epperson
June 6, 1922 — April 11, 2016
Mary Laurie Epperson
Our beloved mother, friend and teacher passed away at South Peninsula Hospital in Homer, Alaska on April 11, 2016. She was 93. She left behind a legacy that will be forever remembered.
Mary was born June 6, 1922 in Los Angeles, Calif. to Mexican immigrants, Ramon Espinosa de los Monteros and Margarita Camou Espinosa. She had one sister, Emma Luz Espinosa Sosa and a step-brother, Raymond Espinosa.
Mary met her husband Jack Epperson, and in 1942 they were married in Los Angeles. They had two children: Terry and Dean.
In 1954, Mary’s life changed dramatically when Jack decided the family would move to Alaska. In October of 1954, they packed up all their worldly goods, bought a bunch of warm clothes, and off they went. They filed for a homestead in Happy Valley, and while improving on the property, they moved into a one-room log cabin called Goggins Cabin. It was about a mile from their homestead.
This little cabin had no electricity or water, and they had to use an outhouse. It was not insulated, and the sky could be seen between the logs of the cabin. Somehow, they managed to survive that first winter, but the homestead cabin was not progressing as fast as they had hoped.
In an effort to stay warmer, the following winter they decided to file on a home site in Ninilchik. They found the perfect plot of land, right across from the Ninilchik School. Jack built them a small one-room cabin out of rough cut lumber he had milled in his sawmill on the homestead.
Mary still did not have modern conveniences like running water and indoor plumbing, but they were able to hook up to the power grid and — best of all — Mary was now near people. She immediately involved herself in the school and became a substitute teacher of music and dance. She also taught the piano to some of the local children for free. But she had to use the school’s piano, as she still did not have one of her own. Finally, Mary was able to purchase a piano of her own, from Anchorage.
After a year or so, the family decided the Happy Valley homestead was just too difficult to improve on, so they found another homestead; this time in Anchor Point. They built a luxury house — with three rooms — but still no modern conveniences.
In time, electricity was brought in which made life much easier. Wanting to continue giving piano lessons, she struggled to make the three-mile trek out of the homestead in order to teach the continually growing children and adults who wanted her to teach them piano.
In time, money became an issue, so she and Jack decided they needed to get real jobs. They left the homestead and moved to Homer, and Mary soon got a job as the city’s treasurer. She continued to teach piano in her students’ homes.
Finally, she decided she needed to have her own music studio so her students could come to her. She retired from the City, and found a little building on Pioneer Avenue. She called it “Etude Studio,” and all of Mary’s dreams had finally come true.
Mary had a great part in establishing the Kachemak Bay College, as well as the Homer Council on the Arts. She was involved in any and everything involving arts and education.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, her grandson Shane Harrington, her husband Jack, and her son-in-law Stan Harrington.
She is survived by her daughter Terry Harrington, her son and daughter-in-law Dean and Cindy Epperson, three grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, plus multitudes of wonderful friends she thought of as her extended family.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the KBC Mary Epperson Student Endowment at 533 E. Pioneer Ave., Homer, and/or to the Homer Foundation at P.O. Box 2600, Homer, 99603.
Terry and Dean can be reached at P.O. Box 1473, Anchor Point, 99556 or 6901 Round Tree Dr., Anchorage, 99507
Memorial services will be held June 25 at the Homer Mariner Theater and the high school commons. Services will begin at 2 p.m.