Kathryn: I wish I could share all the wonderful stories about my mom.

I wish I could share all the wonderful stories about my mom. Momma was a child of the Depression, raised by her grandparents. Grandpa was very strict, but her grandma was a loving, Christian woman who fed the “bums” during that time. Poorly educated, with cardboard in her shoes, Momma developed beautiful handwriting and had a lovely singing voice. During WWII she, along with thousands of others, worked in factories to support the war effort.
She met and married our father. Four daughters later, they divorced as he drank, chased women, and was not a good provider. Essentially we were abandoned. Momma took a series of jobs to keep us going.

A few sentences cannot capture the essence of our mother. Her story is not so remarkable; plenty of women have been in similar situations. What was remarkable was her beauty, grace, sense of humor, dignity, and certainty of faith that drove her to complete her life’s task without the safety nets we have today. Momma, Nana to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was loved and adored. She would have been 95 on April 24, 2017. Her name was Kathryn Roberta Mullin and she was a strong woman. I miss her so much.