March 29, 2013 was the day we expected to have my mom’s picture on “The Today Show” (if they still do this) announcing 100 year old birthdays.  If she hadn’t had a stroke in November, 2011, she would surely have lived this long.  She was healthy and her mind was very, very sharp.  Sixteen months short of this milestone on December 3, 2011, she succumbed to the after affects of that stroke. 

It is rare for our family to all get together since some of us live in other states, but in July, 2011, we came to Duluth to celebrate a belated 98th birthday with her.  In the photo, her granddaughter Lisa is surprising her with a cake.  It also says “80th Class Reunion.”  She graduated from Alborn, MN high school in a class of 8 students.  Until recently almost all of them met yearly for a reunion. 

Mom was the glue that held our family together through her frequent e-mail messages and phone calls.   While we know she is in a better place, we all miss her deeply.

Click here for Ruth Wick, March 29, 1913-December 3, 2011.