Sept. 10, 2006 - 19:55 MDT

Memories And Prayers

In 1917 a girl child was born, a few days ago she died. A lifetime shortly summed up. But reading the fine print, there is so much more to be said.

In her early years I have heard Millie did much of the running for her Mom. Her Mom had a total of eight children and Millie was one of the elder children. Her Mom was busy at home and couldn't go around to the stores and things like that.

I don't know all the specifics, but do understand she went to work as soon as she graduated high school. She had mastered Gregg Shorthand and typing and was proficient enough to hire into a goverment job quickly even though it was in the depths of the depression.

At the appropriate time she married her childhood sweetheart, kept working a job and bore two children.

Along with that she did shopping for her Mom and siblings, took care of business matters for her Mom and Big Sistered the younger children.

She handled all this as a matter of course, never bragging or complaining.

Her husband was into boats and water skiing, even built his Inboard-outoard boat. She took to water skiing and became very proficient at it. She was a vivacious, fun-loving lady and lived it up on the lake.

I can't remember the exact problem, but it was some problem with the motor and her hubby couldn't get enough power to get her up on top of the water. He did his best, as did she, but it wasn't to be. He swung around and fished her into the boat and they came in to shore. She waded out and smilingly said, "I think I got first prize for the Hundred-yard douche." Of course we were all adults so no one was shocked. And it became a hilarious punch line for times when one or another of us were having troubles.

She took life as it came and worked at it with good will. She could sew, crochet as well as doing other "woman's work" and was an expert.

But that is all dry prose and semi-statistics and does not capture the essence of the person who was my sister-in-law. A lady who raised two boys through their difficult years, the youngest having early onset diabetes who when he hit teenage rebelled and wouldn't stay with the program. There were emergency runs to the doctor and emergency rooms on that account. But she kept on doing her work and coping with the vicissitudes of life without bitterness or whining.

She was one of the movers and shakers at her Mom's Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations and dinners and did a lion's share of the fussy work as well as clean up work.

The family would gather at Mother-in-law's house every Sunday, kids and all. It was a great thing, our kids grew up together pretty much. They would play outside while we visited inside. The women talked woman things to each other while we men would talk hunting, fishing, bowling and cars to each other. All we men worked and had weird schedules. So on Sunday at Mom's, some would come early and leave early, some come late and leave late -- the rest splitting the middle. In the summer there would some missing while they took vacation trips.

Through her working life Millie would do her folks income taxes and handle other business matters for them. After her Dad retired things like that became simple and matter of fact for her to handle.

On her way through life, a thief of time and awareness robbed her of most of her mind. A thief called Alzheimer's. So more than ten years she seemed to be a live body without a mind. Once in a great while there would be a spark of communication with her but it was only momentary. Such a "with-it, lively, gentle and kind person to suffer such a fate is heart rending to say the least. I do hope her last years she wasn't a suffering, thinking person. The experts tell us the lights are on but no one is home. I do so hope that is true.

Tonight I mourn, but celebrate a life well lived, a job well done and her friendship. Which leaves me with Memories And Prayers . . . . . . . . . .

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