Donna
It was an unseasonably warm Friday in December when we met Donna, her daughter Alexis, husband Mike and son-in-law Tanner. We were greeted by their huge smiles and warm hugs, first by Alexis, then Mike, and Donna soon followed suit. Albeit they were a much younger group of folks than we typically meet for this project, but her qualifying diagnosis was undeniable. Donna has early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Diagnosed in 2018 at the age of 56, Donna and her family are, in fact, our youngest participants to date for this initiative. Her story was shared with us by both Alexis and Mike, with compassionate cheerleading from Tanner.
Alexis began by sharing who she feels her mother is, “ a mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend.” Tears well up and her voice cracked as she continued “she didn’t have a specific job or hobbies. Her family is her life. She just is a lover to everyone.”
Beverly
Mom is a unique lady to say the least. She is straight laced, no smoking no drinking, with a passion for God but LOVES to dance! She grew up on the east side of Ponchatoula as an only child. Her dad was a strawberry farmer and her mom ran their convenience store. Mom married the love of her life, our dad, and her sun rose and set on him. They had a beautiful marriage and three kids. Her life’s work was to raise children and she did a hell of a job. Mom likes being outdoors enjoying country living- picking up twigs and watching turtles in the canal. She lived on the same plot of land her entire life.
Mom was a caregiver. She took amazing care of her mother and mother in law almost daily even when they were in nursing homes. Love God, Love family, and help others around you.
Elva Mae
She was born in 1929 in Gonzales, Louisiana into a family of four sisters and five brothers. Two of her brothers and two of her sisters have passed. She had four children, three boys, and me, the only girl. She has been a great and loving mom. Still is. Everyone loves her. Very caring lady. She has outlived three husbands. Mom worked at Sears in the Catalog Department, and later as a Sales Associate. After that she worked for the vo-tech school in Gonzales as a secretary, and later a little for Ourso Funeral Home answering phones.
Elva Mae’s legacy is being loving, kind, thoughtful, loyal, and understanding to everyone she is around. We should all treat each others how she has treated people in her life.
Bob
Bob Madden was born in 1943 and raised with two younger sisters, in Denver, CO. He enlisted in the Navy in 1960, serving four years as a radio operator on the USS Boyd, then Yokosuka, Japan where his first of two daughters was born. Returning to Denver, he began a job as car man with the Union Pacific Railroad. After several years, the railroad transferred him to Cheyenne, WY where he met and married his wife, Jan, in 1975. Bob was hired by the Association of American Railroads as a mechanical inspector/auditor, and we were transferred to Hammond, LA in 1986 where we reside today. He retired from railroading after 40+ years.
Bob has had so many hobbies and interests in his lifetime, but the most passionate are Amateur Radio where he sent Morse Code and talked all over the world, painting, motorcycle riding, camping, fishing, and tinkering, always coming up with inventions....why buy it when you can make it.