Larry and Candy (Jeanne)

Larry liked candy and would often offer it to others. Some of his favorites were my least favorite, though. He liked circus peanuts - those orange things reminiscent of styrofoam.

He also liked chocolate covered cherries. One Christmas, at least three different people gave him a box for gifts! As he passed them around for others to "enjoy," most of us declined.

Another favorite of his were the classic Hershey chocolate bars. The full sized ones! Some of us are a bit more particular about our chocolate and don't enjoy the Hershey milk chocolate. He loved buying boxes of chocolates - Russell Stover or Whitman's - for our mother. Then when she ate them, he commented on her eating too many chocolates . . .

As Ann reminded me, he also liked ice cream bars. The ones with vanilla ice cream and the hard chocolate shell.

When I was little, I would go through my Halloween candy and take out all the Bit O' Honey and the icky orange and black wrapped maple ones and "generously" give them to him . . . simply because I didn't like how they tasted.

My siblings have fond memories of his Snickerdoodle cookies, but I never liked them. I still don't like them. I didn't have similar tastes to my dad!

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Another Song Memory (Jeanne)

It's weird for me to think that my perception of childhood was that we weren't very musical . . . and yet I keep having memories of songs from my childhood! Yesterday the song "It's Me, Oh Lord" came to mind and I started singing it. What a blast from the 70s! I know we sang it as part of the worship music at St. Joan of Arc Church, but I also wish I could have a conversation with my parents about the words. It definitely stems from Matthew 7:3-5 about taking the log from your own eye before trying to remove the splinter from someone else's. (Actually, I say "definitely" because that's my own perspective. Perhaps I'm way off!) Anyhow, I can absolutely say that I need prayer. Every day, every hour of the day. We sang this song a lot - mostly at church, but at other times, too. It's a good reminder that I am in need of prayer. I need God's grace, love, and mercy. I wonder what my parents thought about this song. Here's a link ...

More Louise Stories Told By Jeanne (Louise and Jeanne)

"Collating and correcting school papers around the dining room table" - Since Eileen was a third grade teacher and actively involved in the local DFL, we were often put to work to help her with her many projects. We stuffed envelopes, assembled things (like lawn signs), and helped to correct the many spelling tests, math tests, workbooks, etc. Whatever she needed us to help with, we did. Everyone chipped in to get the job done! "Reading books to us as we snuggled on the sofa" - Jeanne doesn't really remember mom reading books . . . I think this must have been more for the three older kids. Dad read to Jeanne quite a bit. But we all grew up with a love of books! "Cuddling in the rocking/swinging chairs when sick" - Again, this is a Louise memory. I remember mom making a "bed" on the sofa with sheets and babying me. That's why I liked it when I got sick - she gave me special attention! I know Louise enjoyed swinging in the hammoc...

Emergency Contact (Jeanne)

This is a sad story. I'm not 100% what year it was (2011-2013?) but I had to fill out the same old paperwork for work. Every year, the same stuff! Phone number, address, blah blah blah. (I was super tempted to write "Nothing's changed.") But on the section where it asked for a secondary contact in case of emergency, I paused. And cried. Louie is always my first contact. But my mom had always been that second one, just in case. And it must have been the fall of 2011, because I remember the struggle I felt knowing she wouldn't have the mental acuity to take an emergency call on my behalf. The realization that her role in my life had changed and I needed to be strong for her . . . rather than me being able to lean on her . . . that was hard. I asked Morgan if I could put his name and number down in case of an emergency if they couldn't reach his dad. Of course, he said yes. I am incredibly blessed that I had my mom around for 48 years of my life and that ...

Eileen and Larry Somers

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