Annie Ruth Tessay

Annie Ruth Tessay passed away Tuesday night, March 19, 2019, at Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Show Low, Arizona from causes incident to her age.  She was 83 years old.  Annie was born on a Monday, July 1, 1935 in Carrizo, Arizona to her parents, the late Archie and Esther (Truax) Alchesay.

Annie was a woman who lived her life in the service of others.  She knew her way around a kitchen and spent countless hours cooking meals for tens of thousands of people over the course of her long life.  She worked for the Whiteriver School District for 47 years and, for most of those years, she was the head cook.  In addition to the school district, Annie worked 10+ years for the White Mountain Apache Tribe's Girls Camp as the camp's main cook.  Even the BIA Forestry Division was blessed by her skills in the kitchen, as she cooked for them for 15 years. During her employment, Annie walked 5 miles to work; everyday, no matter what the weather was like.  She loved walking in the warmth of a sunny day but, she also walked to work during cold dreary days in the rain and even walked to work through the deepest of snows.  She was dedicated and dependable and knew what true sacrifice was.

Annie was a hardworking and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  She was a single parent and was always willing to help her children and grandchildren anyway she could.  She taught, by her example, the value of hard work and the importance of "sweating by one's brow" so one could appreciate the blessing that life had to offer.  She was an excellent seamstress and sewed hundreds of camp dresses during her lifetime.  She loved making things beautiful with her beading skills and handicrafts.  Annie also enjoyed traveling to many places throughout the country and appreciated the opportunity to travel to Canada, where she took in a whole new kind of beautiful scenery.  When she was a teenager, Annie had the opportunity to work on a couple of big Hollywood blockbuster movies, "Broken Arrow" and "Drum Beat", which were filmed in Sedona and Tucson.  She loved that time of her life.

Annie's favorite times were spent in the presence of her family.  She loved each member of her large family more than words could ever say.  She loved cooking for them all.  She even mastered the skills of cooking over a campfire, much to everyone's delight.  Annie had a wonderful sense of humor that had people cracking up all of the time and she loved a good joke.  She was a really good storyteller and loved to share with others "her stories" of her childhood and younger years.  Annie was always willing to lend a listening ear.  She tried daily to live a good Christian life, as she was a God-fearing woman.  She knew compassion and shared her tender heart with humanity.  She understood other people and would always offer her encouraging wisdom when asked.  Her family would call her a gifted healer as, before a woman (be it a family member, friend, or stranger) went into childbirth, she would rub their belly before the baby was to come to help them through their labor.  She will be missed greatly by those she loved and by those who loved her.          

Annie is survived by 4 children:  Glenda A. (Alvin) Pusher of Whiteriver, AZ, Karen T. (Alvis) Fall of Whiteriver, AZ, Gary C. (Sandra) Tessay of Whiteriver, AZ, Elmira J. (Elmer) Cosen of Whiteriver, AZ; 2 sisters:  Romalda Colelay of Whiteriver, AZ, Almira Alchesay of Whiteriver, AZ; a brother, Norbert Alchesay of Cibecue, AZ; 22 grandchildren; 48 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandbaby on the way.  She is also survived by many other extended family members and by a host of friends as well. 

Along with her parents, Annie was preceded in death by her son, Philbert Tessay; her daughter, Darla Tessay; 4 brothers:  Lenzo Alchesay, Sr., Leonard Alchesay, Sr., Morris Alchesay and Kenzie Manuel.

A two day wake will begin 10:00 A.M., Thursday, March 28, 2019, at Annie's home:  1103 S. Dark Shadows in Whiteriver, Arizona.  The funeral service will begin 10:00 A.M., Saturday, March 29, 2019, at the Canyon Day Miracle Church in Canyon Day and will be officiated by Bishop Leroy Tate.  The concluding service and interment will immediately follow at the Whiteriver Cemetery.