AboutMe

This was just before we went to the orphanage in 1955 after moms death,
Ed was about 21 months I was 8yrs. and Richard was 6yrs old.


I was born on a cold winters night in Massachusetts on january 17th.
I had two younger brothers,when in 1955 mom died unexpectedly and dad,
put us children in a catholic orphanage so he could work.

then 5 years later the two boys were adopted by a wonderful family who
had 3 sons and a large farm but didn't want a girl so I stayed at the
orphanage untill I was 17 and graduated from High school and went onto
a one year child care technician program,after that graduation I went
and worked in a hospital from delivery room through Pediatrics where I
found joy seeing new lives come into the world and felt I was needed.
Life in the orphanage was very lonely as you could visit with family
Sundays and Major Holidays from 9:a.m till 7 p.m.away from orphanage
at christmas gifts like bikes or rollerskater or iceskates,even a doll
were given to each cottage (not child) which housed 30 girls or 30 boys
(ages 6-12) and (ages 13-18) for girls and boys were (ages6-9)(10-13)
and (14-18).there was a newborn nursery unit with (birth--1 1/2) and a
toddler unit for ages(1 1/2--6) familys were broken apart except meal
times when you were in main dinning hall or church or school or when a
function was held in a main community room after school or on weekends.

I don't remember much of a childhood before mom died as a result of an
epileptic seisure,after a gun had been fired in her bedroom.I remember
taking richard and crawling under the kitchen table trying to not make
a sound till an uncle left,then I took richard and we ran out back and
went over the fence to where my dad worked,but he was out on the road I
told his boss to send him home as soon as he could,mom was shot and had
the baby with her,he came to the house and all I remember were a lot of
cars and people and hearing the baby crying and seeing my mom being
taken away on a big bed.I remember dad coming home and telling us mom
had just died,and the baby would be ok,but we later found out the baby
had nerve damage in the left ear from that day.I remember everytime I
would step into that room I would get sick,so my godfather and his wife
took me to there house for two weeks till dad could figure where all of
us three kids would go,and the bishop then told him he was best to put
us in a place called Brightside in Holyoke,the nuns could care for us
why he figured what he could do.the only other thing I remember before
we went to the orphanage was of a photographer who went to houses with
a pony and he dressed the kids like cowboys & cowgirls taking pictures,
my brother richard went first cause I was scared to death of the pony.
when I finally got up nerve enough to get up on it-it started to move
richard told me to kick the side of the pony to make it stop, I was so
scared,crying so hard I kicked trying to get him to stop but nothing I
did helped I was headed up hungry hill on this dumb pony holding on for
dear life.and I remember when dad got in from work he had to come get
me,and what a spanking I received, it was one I'd never forget.this is
one childhood memory I can remember.the other was taking richard to the
play ground around the corner from our house when mom was resting and I
sold him to some lady for .10 to buy penny candy....of course she went
and brought him to my mother and told her what I did and guess what,I
got spanking #2 but that is all till I was about 10 in the orphanage
and was curious if nuns had hair under those things they wore and went
and cut a viel to find out,and all I got was stand in a corner for an
hour,kneel for an hour and then a lecture from the priest and reverend
mother,so guess my curiosity got the best of me.and my moms death made
me supress all memory,because I had wittnesed her death and I was so
scared to tell anyone what happened as I thought my dad would die also.

In May 1975 I married Louie we had one daughter Maggie,who lost her dad
in May 1983,very near the same age I had my first loss,strange how that
happens.I felt I couldn't bring her up alone so I remarried in 1985 and
Gus died in 1992. and I have been alone since,I had a wonderful friend
Dick who was company during those times when I felt so lost and could
not go on.I was able to open up with him some and felt I would be ok,
he was a man of few words but like they say actions speak louder than
words.

I have never been able to settle in one place and be comfortable untill
my last move in 1999,and believe it is because I have my own aptment
and there are 56 others in the building and I'm on first floor and dick
was on third.I knew he was only a telephone call away,and as the saying
goes "you can run but you can't hide from yourself forever."so he made
me face my fear of being alone and his friendship gave me the security
I needed not to move every 6 months.....

On December 4,2004 Dick passed away after a 19 day hospital stay and
having an amputation of his left foot and 3 1/2" up the leg due to many
complications from diabeties and other medical problems he faced.and I
believe he thought he would be a burden if he came home,due to the LE
Lymphedema I suffer from and the many other medical things he did not
want me to put my life on hold to care for him, so he prayed for it to
be his time to go to heaven and not suffer any longer,or have me watch
him slowly die,that was the kind of man he was,always looking out for
me,I miss him so very much,but I've got myweb family now to help me
make it through the low times.Thank you for taking the time and learning a little about me.DonnaLee <mousey> nickname I grew up with