Mother is with God. Mother is at rest. Mother is with Dad. Mother was ready to go. Mother has paid her dues. Mother is still with us. Mother loved life. Mother lived a full life. Time heals all wounds. You will mourn Mother the rest of your life. Poem found in book When i am an Old woman I shall wear Purple.
Mom Mom and Pop Pop used to keep me on the weekends when my mom was a nurse and worked nights. I was spoiled to say the least, I was always allowed to sleep with Mom Mom and Pop Pop was kicked out of his room and slept in the guest room for two nights when I came. She would always make pop corn balls with me and have doritoes when I came. She would always make sure I had plenty of things to do and take me to all the kids activities Holly By the Sea had.
My kids also love her very much. She always kept gummy worms and gymmy bears in the house for them. Ice cream is also a big favorite for my kids and Mom Mom made sure there was always plenty when they came to visit. This tradition was started by Pop Pop :)
We will miss our Mom Mom very much.
Andrea Lowery
Mom-Mom was one special woman! She made me feel like I was one of your very special family from the day I met her. She remembered me by sending cards for holidays ~ in one card she mentioned how much she missed Pop-Pop. I am so very thankful for the time I had with her and I know that Alvira and Melvin are together again as it should be! Thank you Evie for sharing her with us.
The last time I actually got to spend real quality time with Aunt Alvira and Uncle Melvin was shortly after the birth of my first great granddaughter in 2005.
My daughter Tammy and her family and I made the trip from Johnstown to Biloxi to meet little Emma. While we were there, Aunt Alvira, Uncle Melvin and Evie also made the trip from Florida. I was so impressed with their visit, because Uncle Melvin was in very poor health then. I remember, as we were saying goodbye, I thought that it would be the last time I would ever see him again. They brought gifts for Emma, and we had a wonderful visit.
While they were there, though, I decided I wanted to take everyone to the Grand Casino for the buffet. What a feast! While we were there, Aunt Alvira wanted to play one of the machines. She got my grandson Aaron to accompany her. The two of them got into trouble with security, because Aaron was only 13 at the time and not permitted in that area. Since that time, we began calling Aunt Alvira and Aaron "partners in crime".
P.S. Thank you, Evie [you are still "Dumpy" to me] for this wonderful memory.
This was taken about 10 years before,Uncle Ralph and Aunt Evie were married.
According to Aunt Evie: "You could go up on Big and Little Roundtop and see quite a ways. Because President Eisenhower had a house there, "Roundtop" was restricted while Eisenhower was president."
On this trip, Aunt Evie, and probably Mommom, picked up matchbox/packs to send to a soldier Auntie Evie was writing to.
It was with Pop-Pop's camera. This picture was taken at the back of the Ritchey Homestead. They had gotten married at the preacher's house in Beaverdale,PA.
One day she was driving, I was in the car with her, it was when they lived in Jacksonville near the canals, she stopped the car to show me the gators in the canal, I was wary just looking at them, then she got out, I got out with her and walked by the canal and a gator was in there with his eyes sticking out looking at us, "See Karen, there is an alligator!" She wasn't a bit scared, unlike her occupant!
One time she was a driving, we were on 98, we saw a plane come down and crash right on the road in front of us, landing in a million little pieces, as cool as a cumumber, she moved to the other lane just in time! It was a model flyable plane! We both had a good laugh over that.
I remember when Kathy and I were visiting her and Pop-Pop in NY. Pop-Pop took us over to the golfcourse by IBM, we all had a great time, finding lost golf balls. They lived in a second story appartment, that was inside a renovated barn.
Mom Mom as she will always be to me taught me so many life lessons that have helped me to become the man that I am. She taught me how to climb a mountain in AZ and the importance of getting to the top. She taught me how to make her wonderful Lasagna which as much as I tried I could never quite reproduce to her quality. She taught me how to smile and be kind and and respectful to all people. She taught me the importance of being thrifty and the value of every penny that she would find on her daily walks.
More than anything In my 50 + years of being her number 1 Grandson, I learned how special it was to spend time with my Mom Mom and how her smile would light up my heart. She is with Pop Pop now where she has always wanted to be so all is right with the world!
Have a good walk today in the clouds Mom Mom!
Lanny
