On Thursday, August 15, we received a phone call at home telling us that Nancy's mother, Mary, had been taken to the hospital in critical condition. The diagnosis was congestive heart failure. We left for Pennsylvania the following morning arriving at the hospital in Altoona last Saturday. Nancy's sister Elaine and husband Karl drove in from Michigan Monday evening. Mary passed on Tuesday morning around 8:30. We all believe that she held off death until she had gathered her whole family. Mary would have turned 95 on September 8th.

Visitation was 2-4 and 6-8 PM Thursday, and the Funeral Mass was held yesterday morning at St. Demetrius Catholic Church in Gallitzin. Mom was interred next to her husband Michael at the Calvary Cemetery in Altoona.

She was every bit the best mother, grandma, great grandma (GG), sister, and aunt. But to me from the first time I met her in February 1967 until last Tuesday, she was the consummate mother-in-law. We will miss her.