Gertrude, the 1927 Flood and her Passing May 7

1927 and the Great Mississippi River flood. And 2011, another Great Mississippi flood year and Gertrude's passing. She sighed her last breath on May 7th while her grandson held her hand quietly and in sync with what he knew was happening.

I posted Gertrude's picture in an earlier post, taken in 1927, a student at the University of Arkansas. She became a teacher, a mother, a World Book Encyclopedia sales person, a librarian, a grandmother and great grandmother. In 1927 at home in southern Arkansas on a lake created by the Mississippi River's course change eons before, the flood waters creeped at them from behind and then spilled over into the lake as if searching for a way home. Gertrude told stories of that flood from memories as vivid as what the next decade would bring...the Great Depression. She lived through all the wars of the 20th Century, was there when Charles Lindbergh landed in a field in Lake Village. She witnessed changes in technology and even mastered her first VCR, taping shows from PBS. She shared her life in ways which graced many.

Gertrude died at home in Denver, CO under the care of my son, Luke, and daily care from The Denver Hospice. We are grateful beyond words for their care.

Rest in Peace, Gertrude Tompkins Carlton Lueg, May 6, 1910 - May 7, 2011.

A little story of metal and memories

As I mentioned last week, Gertrude is nearly 101. During a recent visit I picked out a piece of jewelry that's fascinated me since childhood and put it in her hand. It's a dark, shiny orb attached to a chain. "That was Puddin's." Immediately, my mind shot back to 1929 when Puddin died. Gertrude continued, "she used to wear it. It's called monel".

The clarity of Gertrude's comments after all these years of silence about that necklace put a hush to my mind's wanderings. I commented that I'd never heard of monel. Gertrude then offered the necklace to me to wear. I told her I would get the clasp replaced and would love to own it.

While sitting with her as she grew quiet over her own memories of 1929, I used my cell to look up Monel and then eagerly read to her what I found. As an industrial metal, I found it interesting that Puddin had a piece of jewelry made of this fascinating alloy.

In the following 82 years since Puddin's death, I doubt that Gertrude has had many occasions to talk about Monel. But last week, the word came out as if it had been a constant part of her life. As she has aged, she has shared many stories of her youth and early married years. I've learned things about my father who died in 1965, things that make me happy.

The decade in which Puddin' died was also the times of the Great Mississippi River flood. They lived in southern Arkansas across the river from Greenville, MS. All areas were inundated for weeks. From books I've learned how masses of people suffered. From Gertrude I learned the personal stories. I wish all of our elderly were cared for as Gertrude has been so their stories could be heard as well. Oral histories come from them. What are we missing?

Actions that Live up to Mission and Values

The Denver Hospice: Our mission is to encircle those facing advanced illness with unprecedented levels of comfort, compassion and expertise.

Core Values: Respect - Safety - Choice - Compassion - Efficiency

Just a quick post to thank The Denver Hospice again for their care of Gertrude. She's still at home and recovering slowly from her last bout of pneumonia. Gertrude is afforded with the above mentioned qualities of care.

As our nonprofit continues its goal of how to prioritize its Mission and Values, we remind ourselves often of the differences of those who get respect and those who are suffering indignities in silence.

They've Stories to Tell

I'll leave the politician unnamed, but he thinks we're spending too much on our elderly, and not enough on children. What a way to solve an economic dilemma. We need to stand up to those who try to give us just two choices about anything. There's this vast gray area that doesn't have a voice as yet. Let's find and report what those voices have to say.

Gertrude 1927

 
Gertrude at 17, who still misses her Puddin'.

Puddin' 1927

 

Gertrude's Sister who died in 1929.

For Gertrude at 100 Plus

Gertrude's birthday is May 6th. She'll be 101. Because she has had such a long life I've given much thought to her quality of life. What does she think herself? Should a daughter ask her mom, "what would you have done differently? "

Deep down I already know, but I'll tell her story on another day.

Splintered Mission Statements and Proposal Writing

Nonprofits struggle to get that Mission Statement just right so the message can be marketed for many purposes, including getting funding, of course. After the dust settles in the Board room, and all the tweaks are finalized, most nonprofits have also created a Strategic Plan.

And then they hand it over to a proposal writer. What had been a clear message just the day before now becomes a writer's distinct strategy of parsing a mission statement while parsing a foundation's objective. Searching for government grants is a bigger nightmare...parsing not necessary...finding partners becomes the goal.

At the end of this phrase-splintering day, the writer calls the Executive Director and asks, "Any way you guys can change your mission statement, and make your strategy more comprehensive?"

How do we network? Or not?

I'm amazed at the changes in language concerning nonprofit practices. I'll mention the need to network and get a blank stare. Maybe they're networking inside their own organization...intra-networking? I've made numerous phone calls to directors mentioning an idea hoping to get to some feedback, some idea of whether they'd like to participate -- no reply. I've quit calling. No emailing either; might as well save my keyboard for more important things...like wondering aloud here.

Isolation to disenfranchment

Joblessness is a path toward isolation when a support system is not in place. Even back in 2007 many of us began commenting upon a feeling that a dark cloud was coming over our personal economies. There were spikes in food and rental housing along with the usual "can't get used to high fuel prices". In the fall of 2008 when that cloud enveloped most of us, a few simply shrugged their shoulders and thought, "so what's new?"

Lower income classes are made up of people who don't connect to the high rollers of finance and certain industries. Slogging along generation after generation almost was good enough until waning job-based retirement futures began taking hold of many who thought their employment was sound. Many asked, "what happened to company loyalty? What did I do to lose a job with good benefits? I was loyal and got screwed!" Trust is one of the first of several powerful emotions to begin waning as well. Hope hangs on, but cynicism creeps in.

Social isolation is not a planned destination. Personal financing of staying a visible neighbor sometimes is just too overwhelming. A sense of community can be lost in a shorter time when the very definition of belonging is stripped. In an age of independence "I can't afford to go there" became "I feel lost to it all". Community shouldn't be what I make of it; it should be what we all make of it together, and we need to discover it again.

Our Conscience and Conscious Choices

While watching a continuous stream of videos of the ocean raging inland in Japan, one cannot help but wonder about the people in those waves and swirls and their suffering. And I think about the animals, too. But another thought interrupted that temptation to think about the pets and livestock: how do we interpret the images? What tugs on our hearts?

What if I'm confronted with two pictures, one of a child crying on the street alone, and the other of a stranded puppy with a forlorn look in its eyes? Some studies say we're drawn to the puppy with more sympathy. Neither child nor puppy can help itself, but if there is any presumption tethered in our conscience, maybe it's that we know deep inside someone is going to come along and pick up that child and at least, tell the puppy, "sorry little guy, I'm all out of arms".

WY Vertical Village is now on the Web

WyoVillage is my goal...once I get past learning social media. There's a cliche, "what doesn't (blank) you will make you wiser" or something to that effect. But I don't want to use words such as kill, hate, blame, and you know them, too. So I'm putting a deadline on social media skill lessons. I'm done. I'm diving in.