Mom and Dad at Haven's First Communion

 

Jen,

Thanks so much for posting our stories about your mom.  Here's mine from the first time I met her....When my daughter, Heidi was in second grade at Wilder Elementary in Westerville, I volunteered in the school library one afternoon a week.  One day, Mary Ann's class came in, and my fellow volunteer motioned for me to come over to the aisle where she was shelving, she crouched down and had me do the same.  Then she whispered to me... "Beg, borrow, steal....do whatever you have to do to get your daughter in Mrs. Titus' class when she is in third grade." My fellow volunteer had had 3 of her children in Mary Ann's classes over the years, I knew those words meant something!I didn't have to "beg, borrow or steal", I just wrote a nice letter to the principal (Harold ?) and Heidi was sitting in Mary Ann's class in the fall of 1992.That was a wonderful school year for Heidi and it was also the start of a wonderful friendship between Mary Ann and I.  I will miss her so much, but she will always hold a special place in my heart.

Dru Gehring

David Myers....

Attached are some photos of Maryann as an artist/instructor at The Uptown Art Camp and a Saturday morning art program she developed called "Beyond the Rainbow".  When Maryann was here, we knew magical things were about to happen... 

Maryann inspired and brought out the best in many young artists.  Her contribution to the artists'  creative development and positive sense of self - made a foundational developmental difference for these artists.  Maryann's legacy is yet to be fully realized.  Who she is and what she stands for will continue to evolve in those who were blessed to be touched by her... I thank God for sharing Maryann with us...

She  certainly  left the world a better place for us to carry on...and I am certainly a better person for knowing her...  

Thank you Jenn and the Titus family for sharing your treasure with us. 

-David, Silvia, Massillon & Cherish

And then my sister had to get in on the act....

Lol wow. We are setting a record for blog posts today huh???!!!!!!  All the more reason to make a book for memories!

We are only missing a pic of Mom's hand with Elvis now. I hear he is out there somewhere...........



Jen

"Well I want one too!"

My "hand" picture over the weekend created the profound grief I felt when I took it (suck it Rick. I am an awesome Blackbeery photographer!)

When Dad saw it, he wanted a pic of his hand with Mom's too. Here it is. He was worried about the angle. I told him he was perfect.



Jen

Keep 'em Comin!

Please keep your memories flowing. I am posting them as soon as I can (I am super cool and have a blackberry that can do so while Rick is still living in 1995 with his "flip phone")

Your emails and stories are easing my pain on this sad night.

I told Rick we need to print out all of the posts from the beginning and put them into a book. Something tangible. Something to hold on to. Sue Mitchell wrote me an email today and reiterated my thought.



Jen

More Love

Jen and Alan and Family~ 

Bo and I are thinking of you and your family during this difficult time.  We will have you in our prayers. 

Tracy and Bo

A Note from Jan Franklin

Dear Jen,

There are decades of gaps between when I knew MaryAnn well, and when we became re-acquainted last year. I have loved hearing about her artistic abilities, and her enthusiastic embracing of all life had to offer her right up until God welcomed her Home.

I have been involved with many families through the years, as their loved ones go through this "journey." I want you all to know how impressed I am by your strong bonds as a family, and your determination to be there for your parents throughout all this. You helped MaryAnn keep hope alive, even when you could see her fading.

God bless all of you. You have been and will continue to be in my prayers. 

I have a couple of high school memories to share with you. As students we saw the budding romance between your parents, and it thrilled our teen-age romantic souls! "Sigh! When will that be me?"  When they were newlyweds and Julie was on the way, she was gracious to let us stop by their cottage and visit. She was the first person I ever knew that played music to her unborn child….a practice which I followed , and my boys loved music from the beginning and still do. I learned as much from her example as I did from her words. 

We did make her really angry once, though! It was her 1st year as sponsor of the National Honor Society. It was a rather stupid tradition for all new members to disappear for the rest of the day. Past classes actually went someplace. We nearly suffocated hiding in the backstage dressing rooms. Once discovered, boy were we in trouble!!  One of the only times I ever saw the "wrath" of MaryAnn. I never wanted to "disappoint " her like that again! 

Thank you for all of your openness in sharing. Tell your Dad that my prayers are with him as well. I appreciated your acknowledgment of him and his support through all of this. I am glad he still sings!

Sincerely,
Jan Kennedy Franklin

From Lisa, Andrea's Sister (Rick's wife)

I swiped this from Facebook


 Hi Rick - I hope this memory is another patch in that warm blanket... Your mom is the reason that our girls' rooms are the colors they are. My mom took all of the stuff to her to make sure that everything looked ok. She said, "You need a third color with the pink and the green. How about yellow, I think that yellow would work really well." So because of your mom, the girls have green and pink ladybugs with yellow polka dots. Putting the girls in their beds tonight I had an overwhelming feeling that she was there just to check out her design. She was a true angel on Earth...

The white swan

You've all read about Marshmallow Mayonnaise... well, here she is. The granddaughters are sleeping with their own version tonight in Mom's memory. Dad might be too, though he said that might feel weird.