Sad week

This week I had three people that I have known my whole life pass away. I've heard it said that deaths come in three so I hope this is it for a long time. After mom and dad went to bed on Monday night I got on Facebook and a distant relative had written that she had just had a relative pass away. I'm not sure why I immediately thought of my dad's cousin and his wife but it turned out that it was my dad's cousin's wife-Stella Anderson. Stella was 92 and even though she was older her death was unexpected. My parents had just seen her and her husband Alvin at Golden Age club a few days before. Alvin is 98. He still drives and he and Stella had just moved into an assistant living home! They would have been married 70 years in October. Stella was a wonderful lady and she was always helping others. She adored her six children, 19 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren, and three great great grandchildren with all her heart. She lost her mother when she was only 17 and her dad died when she was 20. She helped raise her younger brothers and sisters as well as taking care of nieces and nephews when they needed her. I want to be like Stella when I grow up!!

Thursday night my parents good friend Bill Thompson died. He was 84. He had found out after Thanksgiving that he had terminal cancer. It's a blessing Bill passed away. Mom had stopped to see Bill and Geraldine a week before he died and she said he looked worse than anyone she had ever seen that was near death. We're happy Bill is now at peace. He was a great guy. He was married to my mom's good friend Geraldine. He was full blooded Native American and he grew up on a ranch near Havre, Montana. He fought in World War II and helped liberate the concentration camp at Nordhausen. He had been married before Geraldine and he had four children and many grandchildren. We use to get together with Geraldine's family (she has two nephews that are my brother and my ages) at Christmas time for many years. I'll miss Bill.

I called my mom after lunch today to see how my nephew Luke was doing-he has RSV but seems to be on the mend now. She told me that she had just gotten a call from her niece Joni that my aunt Harriet (my mom's sister-in-law) had just passed away. This was not unexpected. Harriet was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in late November. Harriet was my uncle Joey's wife-Joey passed away almost twelve years to the day that Harriet did. Harriet was a great person that rolled with life's hard punches. She made the best of the situation. My mom talked to Harriet Thursday night. Mom had said that she had this feeling that she should call her that night. It's so nice that she did. Harriet took a turn for the worse less than twelve hours later and was pretty much unresponsive after that. Her two daughters were with her when she died. We are really going to miss Harriet. She was such a funny lady and so positive.