ForeverMissed
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Her Life
February 4, 2017

To My Half-sister Sandra Kyle. sorry to see you harbor such bitterness to the point of being 'ill' but this is our mother's memorial and not the place for you to vent whatever wrongs you seem to feel have been done to you. I stand by everything I have written and nothing you say can diminish mom's character or my love for her.

I spent several years, after her stroke. in her life, which could be challenging because of her inability to communicate verbally. and they were years that gave me some sad but  many good memories of her. she was a strong woman who bothered no one and lived out her life to the fullest she could. they could be frustrating for both of us. but I would not trade them for anything. I saw her long time doctor in a store and he said, Robbie was very tough and tried hard to hang in there.  sadly you chose to ignore her. you and I both should be so lucky to be so strong. you have no idea.  but I suggest you take your bitterness elsewhere as I have stopped you from commenting further. I hoped by now you found some kind of peace of mind. I have deleted your unkind comments. best of luck Sandra Kyle.

my very strong mother.

July 5, 2016

My mother was born Robbie Lea Baker May 28 1934 in rural Arkansas to James Henry Baker and Bertha Mae Webb. she was the youngest of Ten Children.
raised in the Ozark mountain area with little money who never had eletricity till she was 10 years old. the family was poor but hard working. my mom married at age 16, she said to escape her poor upbringings, she was a slim dark haired blue eyed girl who was very pretty. she moved to California and started her life here.
mom didn't have the best of luck with marriage for some reasom. she divorced her first husband and married Gene Kyle with whom she had three children Janet, Phillip and Sandra. the marriage was turbulent and they divorced while mom was pregnant with Sandra, she met my father. she wanted a father for her children and married my father, Charles Houston Butler and had two children my sister Charlotte and myself. my parents were married 11 years and we had a good family life. mom and dad worked hard. I have fond memories of mom and her beautiful rose gardens. immaculate house keeping.delicious cooking. mom remarried once more after she divorced my father. remained hard working and in her mid 40's she began raising her grandchildren. my nieces and nephews. she was a loving caring grandma who put her grandchildren's needs above hers.  in her 50's she took on raising two more granddaughters who were months apart in age. by this time mom's health was not the best. arthritis and back problems were making it hard for her to keep up with two small girls. she neglected her health and suffered a stroke in 1997. at just  63. it was massive and nearly killed her, she somewhat recovered after month. but was disabled. and lost her ability to speak for good. no longer able to care for her little ones she left my step dad and the children were adopted out. he let the house go and mom lived alone many years in a senior apartment. she suffered much tragedy over the years in 1979 her oldest daughter Janet died at 25. one day before her 26th birthday. who had five children.  we never saw them again as they father took them to another state. one year after mom's stroke my sister Charlotte died at 37 due to drug related septecmia. mom felt she had failed her children when indeed she did not. they chose their paths. before her stroke she always helped them out as much as she could. as I said she was generous and caring, after the stroke she became reclusive and guarded. yet being of strong spirit she carried on. despite a paralyzed right hand and no voice. it was awkward for her to be around too many people. she continued to live as normally as possible. with help she shopped and cooked. I was close to her and lived near her. my mother was a strong woman to live nearly 19 years as she did with that disability. most would have given up. life was very different for her. yet she went on and that is what I am the most proud of. she enjoyed fairly good health all these years. in 2015 she had fallen due to a UTI, was hospitalized for 2 months and recoved quickly and went home. I last saw mom May 04th and we had a sweet, brief visit. as I left I hugged her and carressed my arm and wept lightly, it was a good-bye and letting one another we loved each other. not long after she got another UTI that went un-treated despite medican tests. maybe they weren't looking for it. I don't know. she was found passed out by her worker. I guess the UTI had turned to Sepsis and it was too late as Septic Shock set in and 16 hours after beging hospitalized at 4:53 am she passed away at age 81. four days shy of her 82nd. I miss her badly. she was my mother and friend. she had great strength of character, and was a brave soul. we always spoke daily and visited much before the stroke and had great fun, afterwards I felt I kost her, in away, but was happy she was here. ebjoying what she could.. but It was heartbreaking to see . feeling her good years were stolen. sad. but I was happy she was here, its been hard losing her.
I think of her everyday. her other kids did not seem to care. that is sad too, but I cared and loved her. I was her 'baby' but in later years she was kind of my baby, I am grateful she was in my life as long as she was, I miss her and love her.