Mother-in-law’s qualities live on

By Willis Mahannah -- Editor
I’ve been blessed to have been surrounded at times by five great women: my mother, my wife, my two daughters and my mother-in-law.
I lost one of them Sunday when my mother-in-law, Mary Lou Schenck, passed away.
The death of a loved one is always hard, but this one was especially so because of how swiftly it came. Two weeks ago she was playing bridge with her friends and preparing to celebrate Christmas with her family.
Then came word that she had fallen at her home and needed to be hospitalized. Eventually, the doctors learned that a staph infection had invaded her body. It had spread so rapidly that even a heavy regimen of antibiotics couldn’t stop it.
She passed away Jan. 1, just 10 days after being hospitalized.
It’s likely that not many people in West Point came to know my wife’s mother. She and her husband moved to West Point 10 years ago after living in Mullen for 48 years.
She attended Trinity Church and added her voice to the church choir for as long as she could. She also added a few inches to my waistline with her ginger snap cookies and family-favorite rolls.
Mary Lou had to be one of the local library’s best patrons. I think she could read about a book a day. Her love for reading prompted her to become the librarian when she lived in Mullen. She held the job for 30 years, during which time she convinced the county to start a book mobile to deliver books to rural areas.
Back in the day, she didn’t lose many ping pong challenges and could hold her own in the women’s golf league.
All of her grandchildren adored her, of course, and with good reason. They also miss her dearly. My children are fortunate, and so am I, because their mother has many of the same attributes as their grandmother. The one I can’t figure out is how they both came to accept me into the family :).
Heck, even my three brothers-in-law picked up some of her qualities.
Mary Lou had an infectious smile, a keen sense of humor and a heart that was so big that it always had room to love more.
She also had a knack for always being dealt good cards at bridge or for simply knowing how to play with what the dealer gave her.
She just wasn’t able to do anything with the last hand that life dealt her. Her faith was strong, and we know she has found comfort.