Charlene

My mother-in-law, Charlene Hunter, died today at 6:10 AM.  Illness has been her constant companion for the last few years with infections, basal cell cancer, eating problems all made worse by rheumatoid arthritis.  Through it all, she rarely complained and tried to enjoy what she could of life.  Movies and books were her favorite escape routes, and she never lost her sense of humor.  As she became increasingly immobilized, she lost her ability to care for herself and she hated that.  Her children were her saviors, coming to her aide with various entertainments, help with shopping, appointments and providing meals and treats to get her to eat.
When I first met her, she was a stay at home mom, taking care of her brood of boys in a rather laid back and amused way.  Doug brought me down to California to be with him and I lived at their house for a month until I got a job and found an apartment.  She was so very good to let me stay, and I tried to help however I could, but I was constantly overwhelmed by the details of raising boys.  Shopping for food alone was a major undertaking, as was cooking, cleaning, ironing (she had an ironrite and she ironed Everything!), and patching them up when they were ill or injured. The funny thing was, she could not keep a house plant alive for any length of time.
She was never one to make waves, and had the good sense to just smile and be supportive to her sons and daughters in law at all times.  Her grandchildren were a source of wonderful life and energy as hers waned. Watching them grow up and become successful made her a very proud grandma.
She was 81 when she died, finally pain-free and well loved by all.