Dear George,
My mother’s life was miserable in her later years. Drink, prescription drugs, intolerable pain which made walking difficult, loneliness, depression. On one of our late visits home her close friend Florence C. reminded me to remember Doris as she was in her younger years — a vivacious, intelligent, gifted, fun woman. My mother was 27 when I was born, 39 when I turned 12. Here are a few of my memories from those earlier years.
Doris was a wonderful hostess. She and Vic were part of a large, congenial social circle, and they regularly had parties of all sorts at our house on the river — costume parties, music parties, theme parties of all sorts, e.g., poetry, art. Her welcoming nature extended to my friends in my teenage years who felt comfortable coming regularly to our house to go swimming.
Mother was active and athletic. She played tennis in her youth and was one of the best women golfers at Riverside Country Club. She enjoyed horseback riding and frequented a stable near the city limits on Riverside Boulevard.
She was devoted to our Irish Setters, Mike and Mickey. I mentioned recently how she saved Mike when he fell through the ice on the Menominee River. On another occasion she broke up a fight between the two dogs and got a large gash on her arm. Toward the end of her life she adored her Persian cat, Lovey, who sat with her at the window.
Mother had many interests and activities — bridge, Great Books, jazz, community theater. She planted and tended a magnificent garden along the west edge of our lawn. She had a bird feeder outside our dining room window, kept a diary of all the birds she saw, and taught her kids to identify all the different species.
Doris was an excellent cook. Turkey, ham, geese. Potato sausage and liver sausage from Franny Bourgeois’ West End grocery store. And whitefish — the most magnificent of all. All our extended family came for dinner each year on Christmas Eve. On my last trip home before her death Doris taught me how to prepare broiled whitefish, passing along her legacy.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom!
Love,
Dave
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