Selfless and Wonderful

CORRALES, N.M. – In 1994, when Netscape Navigator was released and quickly became the market leader for browsing the web, Lurlyne Eskew was tasked with starting a library for the newly opened Sandia View Elementary School, now Sandia View Christian School (SVCS).

Starting with a single book shelf and a few books, Eskew’s library evolved over the years and moved to six different places until it finally found a home in a prime location in the current SVCS building.

Twenty-five years later, on May 1, 2019, the students of SVCS surprised Eskew with a farewell ceremony, after she announced her retirement from volunteering at the school. During the ceremony, students from preschool through 8th grade paid tribute to her service by singing songs, showering her with gifts and giving her heart-warming messages. The 5th and 6th grade class read a poem that likened Eskew to a web browser. “Ms. Eskew you were our search engine,” read some of the students. “The difference is that you smiled, you have a big heart and you didn’t give us annoying advertisements.”

Many people from the community came to support the event including Charlene Zeelau who worked alongside Ms. Eskew at SVCS for 17 years. “Lurlyne spent a lot of time working out of her home cataloguing and getting the books ready for the library, so she probably spent 40 hours a week volunteering,” said Zeelau. “She is an amazing person; truly selfless and wonderful.”

“I worked with Ms. Eskew for about eight years in the library and have known her since my 23-year-old was a preschooler at SVCS,” said Jennifer Christiansen. “Throughout the years she has been an amazing example to me of Christlike love, sacrifice and service.”

From mentions of her overall support of the school to legends of her reading all the books in the library to ensure their appropriateness, there was an overwhelming sense of love and respect for Ms. Eskew at the ceremony and she was happy to be part of it all.

“I’m kind of sad because I’ve been doing this for a long time, 40 years in total,” said Ms. Eskew. But I appreciated the willingness of the kids who participated, and I think the library is going to be in good hands.”

By Debby Marquez, Communication Director