Sweet Little Mother..



This post is dedicated to my mother, Eileen.

 

 

Gordon and Eileen, 61 years together.

 

My sweet mother and dad about a year ago.

 

Monday, December 3, 2012 my little mother passed on.

You get that dreaded phone call in the evening from

a hospital ER.  My brother, sister, and father were

there.  They followed the ambulance into

the small town of Antigo, Wisconsin.

The paramedics whisked her in the Er.

The Doc comes out, him and dad converse.

Then a few minutes later the same Dr.

returns with the news.

 

 

 

 

 

Mom in the middle with Shannon (L), Isaac (far L), and my sister Annette, her daughter

and grandson.

Four generation photo. 

 

Her health had been failing the last 4-1/2 years.

It was her appointed time. Her work was done here and

her God called her home.

 

2001, their 50th with my family.

Our son from left, Steve, my hubby Ron, Dad, Mom, Me and our daughter, Jennifer.

 

 

Left: Mom-6 years old      Right: Dad-6 years old

 

A lifetime of memories, a lifetime of love

and connection.  Eccl. 3:1-8 puts it so well:

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

 

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.



 

 

 

We have cried and we have laughed.

 

We have spoken and we have been silent.

 

We have mourned and we have danced.

 

 

The late 1940's.  Mom in the center. Her good friend Bernice far left.

 

 

About 1939, mom far right. Her sister, Lisle far left and middle, is

Bernice, her long time friend.

 

 

 

She was wife of a US Navy sailor for 16 years. She lived and moved on the east coast and midwest.  Mother to 3, Linda, Ken,

and Annette.  Grandmother to 7 children; Jennifer, Steve, Erin,

Shannon, Sarah, Adam, and Colleen. Greatgrandmother to

8; Sebastian, Dominick, Isabel, Ariana, Santiago, Milo, Isaac,

and Gwen.

 

She was a Proverbs 31 woman.

Her price was far above rubies.

 

Her talents were many; an artiste, she was the real

'cake boss', seamstress extraordinaire, her cooking was

equaled to Paula Deen.  She was humble yet strong.

 

As our son mentioned in his Eulogy to mom;

'She was unbelievably strong and larger than life, even though

I was taller than her at the age of 9.'

 

 

 

She loved to paint seasonal images.

 

 

 

 

Her first Rosemaling, 1982.

 

 

 

She loved autumn and the cooler weather.

I remember getting in the car with her and

driving down a few country roads looking for

grapevine to make wreaths.

 

 

She knew the art of canning using garden fresh

produce.  Her canned pickles and string beans

were known in many towns and villages in northern

Wisconsin.  She knew how to give and care for

people when they were hurting.

 

 

She loved flowers and could arrange cuttings

from her garden in minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her pressed flowers were found by my sister a while back.

Mom had pressed flowers many years ago and made

arrangements behind glass and framed.  These delicate flowers

were in phone books, catalogues, and various large books.

Annette found them and organized all of them in bins.

There were hundreds and hundreds of pressed flowers.

 

Thank you, Annette.

 

 

In another post I will write of her

treasure of love letters from our dad

when he was aboard ship after they were

married in 1951.  We may never know what

each letter says.  They are neatly

stacked, tied up, and aged with the patina of

time. International letters from a sailor to his new bride.

 

We love you dear mom,

may you dance and rejoice

forever on the other side in His presence.

 

 

Please do not use photos or wirtten content in this post

without permission from the writer.

Thank you.