Condolence: I will miss the smile that I always got from my Mother in law. She always greeted me with that grin and a kiss. There were many times when Debra and I went to pick her up to go somewhere that she would sit in the back seat with me and we would carry on like we were on a date, driving Susie and Debra crazy in the front seat.

I guess that I do not have the memories of Mom that everyone else has as I only knew her a short ten years. During that period I was fortunate enough to have her at our wedding and at our house in Columbia a number of times. As well, I was of course in Fort Smith many times with her. She accepted me immediately and for that I will be forever grateful. She loved her daughters so much, even when they were fussing with each other as families do. She was so proud of their accomplishments and their lives. At the end she constantly communicated to me how much the girls helped her and took care of her and how good they were for doing that.

I never met a woman who was so crazy for dogs, any dogs. When you would talk to her the first thing she would want to know would be how the dogs (the "babies") were. She knew the names of everyone's pet and if someone got a new pet she was always so anxious to meet the dog. Prior to moving into the nursing home she had one of all time favorites, Sugar. When she moved she could not take Sugar with her so Debra and I took Sugar home with us. That did not work out well with our other female dog and we ended up giving Sugar to Mom's granddaughter Vicki. Mom followed Sugar's odyssey like a realty show on TV, always asking how she was doing, what she was doing and lamenting that she did want to see that little "baby."

I miss my Mother in Law. We may not have been close but my wife loved her mother and her mother loved me. I do not think a Son in Law can ask for much more than that. For me she was the last member of my parents generation to pass and with that we are left to try and figure out this crazy work all ourselves. I am counting on her helping me from above.



Thanks,



Stephen Murray

Executive Director

Condolence: Wanda, Suzy, and Debbie. Bert was such a terrific friend. She was like a sister to Donajean and I. Well now she and Donajean can get caught up on old times. Love ya Bert. Love ya Girls.