A Great Loss

  Last week our family experienced a great loss when Jan's mom passed away. Her health had been on a down hill slide since last October when she'd had a heart attack. Unlike some fellows I know, I had been blessed with a mother-in-law that who couldn't have been better if I'd ordered her from a catalog. In the almost fifty two years that I knew her, I can't recall ever having harsh words with her.I'm not even sure we ever had an argument. She always treated me with respect and kindness, even as a sixteen year old punk hanging around her daughter. When Jan and I got married in 1972, I was at a loss of what to call her. I already had a lady I called mom, so we settled on Helen, her first name, and yet in every way she was a mother to me. When Jan and I left the farm and decided to settle in Hoonah, she helped put together the down payment for the house. Her life was one of sacrifice and service. After her husband died she made semi-annual trips to Alaska to be with us and the grandkids. Her trips were always looked forward to by the whole family. Many hours were spent playing bingo with the kids, for which she supplied prizes. Her cooking skills were exceptional, and when Jan and I would come home from work for lunch, she would always have a meal set out from what was in the fridge or pantry. If I happened to mention that I wish I had some little thing- grapes or melon or perhaps cookies, she would shop or bake and make sure my desire was met, always at her own expense. She paid her way to Alaska from Wisconsin and then when she was here, she wouldn't let us buy anything. If my shirt was torn or needed a button, I didn't even need to mention it, she'd spot the problem while she was doing laundry and fix it. While she was here she took care of the housework and cooking and when we got the dog she took care of him too. Many nights she'd be at the table playing a game of Racko or Uno or cards with the kids. She was the grandma that everyone wished they had. I'm sure she had days when her body hurt or she was tired, but we never heard a complaint from her. She enjoyed simple pleasures, a good meal, a newspaper, a cup of coffee in the morning, which she would pour from her cup into a saucer to cool down before she drank it. She had a wealth of knowledge born from years of making do with what was available. If there was a spot on dining room table because a hot cup had sat on it, she knew how to remove it; if you put too much salt in the bean soup she could fix it. She knew how to can vegetables and stretch a dollar so thin you could see through it. From her I got the idea of recording the books I'd read and keeping them on recipe cards in a file folder. I asked once how many books she'd read and she mentioned that she thought she had read about 1289 since she had started recording them. Obviously she was a regular at the library in her city, and after she passed, Jan's sister had to take some books back to the library that Helen had checked out. Up until her eighties, she was going to the senior center to help feed the "old folks". She was never one to be waited on and even in her last days didn't want to be a burden to anyone. True to nature, she'd planned long ago for the day we all knew would come, and had all of her papers in order for her departure, right down to who should receive what of her worldly goods. She passed at the ripe old age of ninety three leaving behind two daughters, two sons-in-law, eight grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, and two great, great grandchildren, and multitudes of friends and neighbors, all of whom will miss her dearly.

 Helen Maxine Somerlot  2/11/27-5/31/20

I loved her, I miss her and I look forward to the day we see each other again. Rest in peace Helen. You've earned it.