It has now been nine days since my dear and holy mother, Ebby, after three days of hospice care, passed into the arms of the Lord, with her patron saint, Padre Pio ushering her to or at least toward her eternal reward. After too short of time with her husband, my dad, Bill (who died in 1985) she continued her life as a nurse doing night shift at St Joseph Hospital in Hot Springs (where she got her training as an RN in the early 1950s). She also continued to be a strong influence on muself and her other adult children, especially in the ways of her love and commitment to the Lord, His Church, and in her ever growing family. She became a mother in caring for her firstborn, Sharon, when she was born on August 11, 1956, and then carried and welcomed with my dad eight more children, the last one, Mark, being born on May 26, 1967. A quick, and astute calculation will tell you that she and my dad were blessed with 9 children over and eleven year span!! Most who find that out can't imagine the challenge that was for her body and the challenge in many other ways of raising that many children who were so close in age! Perhaps I'll go into that another time. While she got defensive whenever I or any of my siblings commented that we grew up poor, and was quick to say we had clothes on our back, shoes on our feet, a roof over our heads, (one she lived under for 66 years), and food on the table, (all of which was true, thaanks to God and my devoted, hard working parents), I give thanks to God first for them and all the wonderful lessons we learned in that very modest environment and the love that was shown to us and shared not so much in spoken words, but in countless deeds done for us and others!! My mom and dad's faith in God was strong in their hearts and in their actions, including prayer in the home, a Catholic school education (which they were both blessed to have), and participation in ministries, my dad as an usher and my mom as a long-time money counter at St Mary's in Hot Springs. My brother, Joe, started as an altar server at the age of 5 and the other five brothers followed suit, serving every Sunday and some weekdays through our high school years. I'm sure the girls would have done the same if allowed to do so in their growing up years. My mom, for all of her years of learning and living the Catholic faith (from her saintly mother, my grandmother "Mama Blitz") was the "rock of faith" in our lives and the "glue" that kept the family together and coming together for most big holidays and other occasions. Not to be understated was her role as the "peacemaker" as she always tried quickly to quell any arguments of ill will among her childre. Her prayers for her family and others were unrelenting and consistent. My faith and hope tells me that they will be even stronger in her eternal life in heaven. Her faith told her, and my faith tells me now, I can't wait to see you again!!