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A Little History...
Mary grew up in West Springfield Massachusetts. Her Father Omer worked as a laborer and her Mother Anna was a homemaker. She was by no means wealthy, she was one of 7 children and it was the depression.
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She was working at a factory in Chicopee when she met my Dad, Don. She was in her early 20's and she was working to help her family. Dad courted her and they were married in 1955. (That's right, 2005 is 50 years for Mom and Dad!) He took her to Westfield where they bought a house and settled in. Dad still lives in that house, alone. |
| Mary and Don |
| Sandy was born in 1956, then Bobby in 1958 and me, Debbie, in 1963. Mom was a housewife until the recession in the 70's. She went to work, only because she had to, at Old Colony Envelope she worked there until she retired at 62 years of age. It was the 90's and she wanted to relax and enjoy the rest of her life. She wanted to spend time with Dad, she loved him so. |
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Debbie, Sandy and Bobby |
 Mary and Don on their Wedding Day June 25, 1955 |
My Mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in February 2000. She had been Showing all of the classic signs for Months, even years before the diagnoses. Sadly she was only 69 years old when diagnosed. In that same year my Father retired from his position working for the city of Westfield to dedicate his life to taking care of her. Only a little more than a year later she had a stroke. This changed everything. She rebounded to a point. Physically she came back, but the state of her dementia had worsened and she was never able to return home. First she was moved to a nursing home but once she became ambulatory they moved her to the dementia unit at Providence Psychiatric Hospital where she spent a few months in "lock up". That was a very hard period and luckily we were able to get her moved to Western Massachusetts hospital where she has been ever since. The nurses there are wonderful and I feel that she is safe there. That is a huge plus. |
| I try to look on the bright side. She is close by and she is clean and she is fed. Just recently I have been taking her home and having her spend time with the dogs. She enjoys them and they seem to like her an awful lot (she usually has an ice cream in her hand and that will keep their undivided attention!) My Father visits her at the hospital every day at around lunch time and I visit when I get out of work. She is the most visited person in that ward, she has our support! | |
| My Mother is, was and always will be a genuine, caring and loving person. At a recent benefit several people from our neighborhood, people that had moved away years and years ago, showed up in her honor. She would have been extremely touched by the concern of her old friends. To her I dedicate this web page. I love you Mom. |
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| Mom passed away in January of 2007. She is in heaven now where she can live in peace and remember all of us, her family and her friends, who were so important to her in her life. Every step of the way this disease gets harder and harder, and just when you think it can't possibly get any worst it is over, and it leaves such an emptiness behind. |
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