She impacted all our lives in many ways, and we all are stronger because of her. Grandma sort of sprinkled stardust over the lives of all us grandchildren when we were little. My heart hurts for you Mom, as it does mine, as we grieve the loss of your Mother and our precious grandmother. you are greatly missed dear uncle Jo Jo… Jeff Norden I (Jeff) can still think of dozens of stories where Jo Jo made my childhood more fun! Though I moved away as a young adult, I never forgot our shared experiences. You were loved by many people… and loved with a sister’s hands folded in prayer. We are threaded together, you, Bob, with I…with a family bond of countless blessings. You made me smile in grief, and helped me grieve in pain. You were my best friend, my advocate, my protector, my cheer on a gloomy day. We shared life from the unique lens of historic adventures… from surviving the depression and wars, to celebrating new families and marriages, we walked this world together. My words will never be enough to express my joy to see him once we are together again in heaven. Though his sister, Betty suffers from dementia, I thought it would be apropos to send thoughts and wishes I think mom would have expressed.įrom the depths of my (Betty) heart, I love my brother without end. The news that uncle Jo Jo died took my breath away. My aunt Bertha was very special during my time spent in the Ohio Valley. She like my own mom, had a wonderful sense of humor and I am very grateful God gave her to this family, and to know her heart was right with our Heavenly Father. This is a very specific moment that we all laughed about, as she realized she never saw him do this. “I didn’t know I had two of those!’” Jamie and I looked at each other and laughed before we told her she didn’t -he had just set it back on the shelf a second ago. He ten slipped back to me while she was setting something down on her left (slowly I might add…lol) As we stood there and watched her turn back to the shelf she was surprised as she said ‘well look at that …. One item, I think it was a coffee pot, I already had so Jamie took the box back to the shelf approaching her from the right. I would decide if it was something I could use and place it next to me most everything was needed since I didn’t have many things for the house. When Jamie and I walked into the basement with her she started pulling things off the shelves, and setting them to her left. In 2007 I was moving into my house in Wheeling and aunt Bertha said she had some things in the basement she would give me for the house. He was a gift and I'll carry him in my heart forever. I'm grateful she brought Doug into our family. My mother would say the same as she depended on him during the most vulnerable times of her life. He made me feel safe and secure when I was a child and there's nothing he wouldn't have done for us kids. If I had to choose a stepdad for my childhood, I'd pick Doug every time. It made perfect sense and I tried to become the same way too. I asked Doug why his things were so organized and he explained his service in the Navy and how he was responsible for keeping his living area clean & orderly. I clearly remember sitting on the bed, looking at his hats & shoes and how the structure and organization appealed to me. Everything he touched was clean and neatly in order. His tidiness left a lasting impression on my life, no doubt. I never met anyone more organized than Doug. He'd tie a big rubber tube to the back of his truck and pull us kids all over the Giffin farm. On snow days, he released his inner-child and take us sled riding for hours. Every day we sat down for dinner as a family then each night he carried me upstairs to bed.
HOWARD STERN RONNIE KISSES LISA G HOW TO
He helped me with my homework and taught me how to add and subtract. I clearly remember when he taught me how to tell time before anyone in my class. As soon as one died, he'd get me another one. He must've taken me to Murphy's 50 times to buy a hamster or a gold fish. Sometimes he'd set me on his lap and let me drive his big Dodge truck - and gosh those were famous moments. It seemed like he cut grass every day and to this day, whenever I'm woken by the sound of a lawn mower, memories take me back home to Brooks' Run.Įverywhere Doug went, he took me along. I remember Doug watering the flowers after dark & neatly putting away the hose. They planted flowers galore in the front of the house and down both sides of the driveway. They began with our bedrooms and made their way downstairs. Immediately after my mother and Doug were married, Mom began redecorating the house on Brooks' Run and Doug jumped right into her shenanigans. He was a loving, caring, protective stepdad to 3 kids who needed him more than they knew. When I was 5 years old, Doug married our mother Sherry and willingly faced the challenge of becoming a stepfather to her 3 children.
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