Momma
Beloveds, I am sad to tell you that Momma passed away on Friday night in her own home. She had made a decision to cease all medication except for pain control and had been ready to go for a few days. She was 92 and 1/2 years old.
After being with family all day, she asked her caregiver for Blue Bell ice cream. She ate some and then told the caregiver that she was full and handed her the bowl. The caregiver took to bowl to the kitchen sink and returned to wash mom’s hands. Mom said, “I’ve had enough.” She closed her eyes and was gone within seconds. It was peaceful. I am so comforted that she got her Blue Bell.
Here’s part of her obituary:
Jean married Paul in April of 1943 in the middle of World War II, and the newlyweds travelled to California while he was serving in the Army Air Corp. After the war, they returned to Houston where both of their families lived. As with many women of her generation, Jean was a full time wife and stay-at-home mom while her children were young. After her children entered high school, Jean started college to become a schoolteacher. She taught children with disabilities. She was very good at it.
Jean took up painting in her later years, and she was very good at that, too. Whether in a lush landscape of the Texas Hill Country or a moody abstract of Galveston Bay, Jean had an eye for the natural beauty of our state. Her many works hang in the homes of her children and grandchildren, where they will always be a source of comfort.
Jean’s first love was travel. She traveled extensively around the country and made exciting trips to Europe, the Holy Land, Mexico, and a cruise to Alaska. She proudly lived independently until her recent short hospital visit. She enjoyed sewing, knitting, and reading. She was active in her neighborhood association and her church.
At her request, there are graveside services for the immediate family only. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Star of Hope Mission in Houston or any organization helping to reunite children with their refugee parents at the border. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?” Jame 2:14
I am going to miss her down deep hard. I’m going to take a week or so off (unless, of course, something wild happens and I can’t stop myself from hollering) and I deeply thank my friend El Jefe for keeping the doors here open for us.
Bubba and I will be going to the Texas Democratic State Convention in Fort Worth late next week. I need to be around friends and that’s where they will be.
I’m so saddened to read this. My deepest condolences to you and your family.
1Your mama sounds like my kind of people. A life well lived. Please accept my condolences.
2My deepest sympathy. I lost my mom in May, with eerily similar parallels. She had been dealing with coronary pulmonary issues for a long time, but had taken a sudden turn for the worse. I, along with my brother, was at her bedside for three weeks or so. At the end of April I had to come back to Austin to pay bills, wash clothes, etc., but my brother called and said I’d better get back quick. I got to her at about 10:00 p.m., found her sleeping with my brother beside her, but my brother told her I’d arrived and she sat up in bed, took our hands and hoarsely said, “Goodbye, boys.” She died two days later. The only thing I know of that she said after that was when she asked a nurse, “What’s taking so long?”
3Condolences to you and your family – and all that loved ‘Mama”
4Sounds like your Momma lived a full and interesting life…and she raised one heckuva* little girl that we’re all proud to know. Our deepest condolences to you and your family.
*I know Momma didn’t like cussin’, so I used “heckuva” instead of the other word 🙂
5You have my condolences, it’s a tough thing in one’s life. Sounds as if Momma had a full and interesting time on this big rock.
6I wasn’t around when my parents passed on, long ago at fairly young ages (60’s). I had left my dad in his hospital room when I left on a PCS, he seemed to know we would never see each other again; I didn’t realize it, as he had had many hospitalizations with lupus, long ago before, when not much was known about it.
With mom I was living a long ways away and had no ‘heads up’ beforehand.
An odd thing happened at my mom’s funeral service. We had our baby daughter there (~10m/o), whom mom had only seen once a few months before, and part way into the priest’s eulogy the baby broke out into a fantastic, loud, long, melodious ‘aria’ that just stopped everything; people just looked and listened, some began crying. My ex claims it was ‘miraculous’, but I remain agnostic. Baby was always pretty vocal (garrulous even), smart as a whip (grad degs- Summa), but this was exceptional.
My condolences.
7What a lovely tribute. I hope you find comfort in the memory of your time together.
8So so sorry to hear this. I somehow missed this original post and came late to offer my heartfelt condolences.
9You have deep, sincere condolences from me. Hug that beautiful grandson, hug Bubba, and hug your friends. I’m glad Momma got her Blue Bell.
Does that mean we can cuss now?
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