The Internet and especially the Blogosphere is an amazing place; a place where complete strangers, folks who have never met face-to-face feel kinship and friendship. Today I’m honoring a woman I’ve never met. A woman who likely has never visited the Sunshine, but her son has on many occassions. Avid and frequent readers recognize his posts and would do so even if he didn’t sign his name. The woman’s name was Geraldine and apparently her friends knew her as Gerrie. We all know her son, Danny Lucas.
Danny took time the other day to respond to my posting about my encounter with an M.S. Terrorist, quickly noting that he was planning a funeral and couldn’t spend much time visiting that day. I didn’t know at that time that he was planning the funeral of his mother. The following morning when the hubby and I read the local paper, and after an anxious call from my father asking if the “Lucas in the paper was ‘the’ Danny Lucas”, it became clear.
Danny has always found time for me and others here in the Sunshine and in return I wanted to find time for him and his family today. It must have been a trying week for the family, with his mother passing on her own birthday at the age of 87. I didn’t know Gerrie, but I have to guess she was a wonderful woman (just look at that smile in the photo below). If Gerrie’s offspring is any indication, she was a generous, giving, non-judgmental individual. Or at least she raised her son in such fashion. As the founder of GED for Me!, the only online GED preparation program in the state of PA, I shouted loudly when I read that Gerrie earned her GED at the age of 69. That’s an accomplishment for an adult of any age and I hope she knew she was serving as a role model for the other 1.6 million PA adults without diplomas. (Danny, you’re lucky I didn’t know this sooner, I would have hit your mom up to speak at our graduations and fundraisers. She looks like a gal who could tell one terrific story to a crowded room).
She was the mother of a dozen kids and grandmother (or great-grandma) to 99 — yes, 99 individuals. What a life! What a gift! Danny, our thoughts are with you and your extended family.
| Geraldine Ruth Stanton (Gerrie) Lucas | ||
 Geraldine (Gerrie) Ruth Stanton Lucas Geraldine (Gerrie) Ruth Stanton Lucas, 87, went to walk in the company of Christ and his angels on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at her daughter’s residence in Portland, Ore. Born in Erie, on May 21, 1921; Geraldine was the daughter of the late Edwin Stanton and Iona Mable (Shepard) Stanton of Erie. Geraldine resided in the Erie area her entire life. Geraldine completed her formal education when she received her hard-earned GED at the age of 69 in 1990. She was employed in service work, nursing, and as a homemaker. Geraldine was actively involved in community organizations, including The Erie Mothers of Twins’ Club and the Erie Cursillo Movement. She enjoyed baking, sewing and crocheting. Geraldine is proceeded in death by her husband of 46 years, Nicholas George Lucas; sisters Margaret Kephart, and Roberta Mello; brother Raymond Stanton; daughters Diana Jean and Donna Marie Lucas; and son-in-laws John Dieteman and Henry Moks. She is survived by 10 children: Christine Dieteman of Girard; Kathleen Moks of Lawrence Park; Daniel Lucas, Joseph Lucas and his wife, Sherry, and Barbara Peterson and her husband, Michael, all of Erie; Audrey Lucas of North East, Pa.; Colleen Obrist and her husband, Daniel, of Portland, Ore.; Nicholas Lucas of Englewood, Fla.; Mary Soth, and her husband, Michael, of Rotonda, Fla.; and Douglas Lucas, and his wife, Tina, of Port Charlotte, Fla. Aside from being beloved Mom to a dozen children, she was a witty, warm, and wonderful Grandma and Great-Grandma or “GiGi” to 99 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She will be lovingly remembered by many nieces and nephews. Friends may call at the Burton Westlake Funeral Home, 3801 W. 26th St. at Powell Ave., on Wednesday, from 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. and are invited to attend a mass of Christian burial Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, with Fr. Michael Allison Celebrant. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery Memorials may be made to the Second Harvest Food Bank 1507 Grimm Drive, Erie, PA 16501; the St. Patrick’s Food Bank 130 E. 4th Street, Erie, PA 16507; or the Erie Shriner’s Hospital for Children 1645 W. 8th Street, Erie, PA 16505 . Send condolences at www.burtonfuneralhome.com. Sign the guestbook at www.GoErie.com/obits. |
||
Sleepless in Erie,PA.
Tho not a movie yet, it sums my days of late, very well.
Gordon Lightfoot used to sing a song with the lines:
“I’m on my second cup of coffee and I still can’t face the day”. Today, Danny sings “I’m on my second POT of coffee and it’s an awesome day”.
It is always a moment of serendipity to see a story on my mom in the news. While sipping coffee and listening for cardinals outside the open window — yes, Erie has a warm day today — I was flabbergasted anew at my mom in print.
And tho I have written here and many places over the years, I have not shown my siblings any of my penned words until now.
I am grateful for your kind words here Kim; you would have found mom a splendid delight. She had the ability to lift downtrodden stems that came into her day, and leave them reaching toward the heavens instead.
We have all gathered for mom’s birthday from all over the country each year for the last several years. Mom was declining with Alzheimer’s. She was due back from Portland, Oregon on 5/20/08, last Tuesday for a birthday party on 5/21/08. She had a stroke the prior Friday (5/16) and the doctors said 24 hours.
Mom took care of the old folks at the Erie County Geriatric, now Pleasant Ridge. Perhaps one day I will share nursing observations since your audience deals with nurses often. Mom told me many stories from that experience.
Another 24 hours after the doctors said she would be gone, she went to sister, Colleen’s home with no hope of any medical return this time. I often teased mom that she would stay alive til age 100 in order to kiss Willard Scott on the Today Show live. Ironically, my sister knew my mom was in trouble when mom failed to turn on Bob Barker begging one and all to “Come On Down!”.
She defied the doctors and stayed alive until her birthday, 5/21/08, and the crew in Portland sang her songs. The last one she heard was The Lord’s Prayer and she bowed out.
More on my mom is here:
http://www.globalerie.com/dalehannah/2008/05/24/geraldine-lucas/
I must give credit to my sibling’s in funeral preparation for mom. I did dad’s in 1984 and doing one parent’s funeral is sufficient.
Many people do not get a chance to say goodbye to their parent. I was blessed to have nearly a year of time taking mom from place to place in Erie County. We both surprised one another with tidbits of information at each stop that the other never knew.
My second pot of coffee just beeped it is ready!
Everybody is flying home today; funeral home Wednesday, and then funeral on Thursday. It is time.
Thank you for the Sunshine of your kind words this day.
Best regards,
Danny Lucas
My thoughts and prayers are with you Danny. I lost my Mom 10 years ago (March 1st). It is a very difficult thing to go through. The only thing that makes it easier is knowing she is now…home. You will be in my prayers.
My deepest sympathy to you Danny Lucas.
Peace to you, too Danny. Ditto Tracy. I too lost my mum almost ten years ago, and then my dad two years later. Each night that we’d cared for them, we received their loving appreciation and their immeasuable blessings. I so miss them both, as I’m sure you both do, but we do know that we are never alone here, as they are peacefully monitoring us from there. Bless them, and us, all.
And Kim, thanks again for providing this MS family setting for each us to share with others.
To Kim, Tracy, Carol K, needles’npens, …..
to all who remember in silence and in prayer….
accept my “Thank You” for your genuine kindnesses.
My mom surprised all of us anew, within an hour of her burial. We were at Stephany Catering for an enormous wake. Huge envelopes appeared out of nowhere with names on them. My brothers and sisters had envelopes, as did I, children all over, and others.
Inside mine, was every card or letter I had ever sent to mom. Same for everyone else and their written love.
I read a note from 1977 and a card from 1990. Mother’s day, Valentines, Christmas, Birthday, or no reason day…. they were all there. I could not fathom that mom had spent her whole life collecting these from everyone and then marking them ‘Return to Sender” within an hour of her final farewell on Earth ….and being herself, marked by God, “Return to Sender”.
I have yet to read them all.
Who among us plans that far ahead in life to be carried into hearts of the future?
This blog site is probably among the few on the Internet to develop an audience of equals. All are equal in love, endurance, patience, peace, joy, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control.
A legal will need not be opened.
For, I know that I am the already the beneficiary of all the above listed fruit of the Holy Spirit that all of you possess, and share, so freely with me, and my family (to their shock and awe when I showed them Kim’s post on Honoring a Woman She Never Met”.
For that, I am thankful.
Because of the type of people in this audience that all of you are, I wanted to share some of the eulogy I spoke to mom:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you met my mom , you always met God too.
They both had their commands to create love…and protection.
God had 10; mom a few more, but they were closely aligned.
Put God First
“Danny you will think Im nuts but tonight after work, I rode home to Fairview and Jesus Christ sat in the passenger seat all the way to Fairview.
He just smiled at me”
Respect the Name
“Stop Swearing you two!”
Keep it Holy
“It’s time for church! Lets go!”
Honor mom and dad
“Joe, I’ve got a bone to pick with you!”
Dont murder
“If you drink, you will murder your family”
No adultery
“When you make dill soup, put in ONLY fresh ingredients or it doesnt taste right”
Don’t Steal
“Which one of you kids took pop bottles at Antoun’s grocery and put them on the counter top for money or candy?”
Dont lie
“YOU Go upstairs right now and wash your mouth out with soap”
Covet! God gave you enough
“Money isn’t everything”
Covet! God gave you enough
“Bingo!”
When you listen to mom, you listen to God.
When you hear your gramma, you hear God.
I tried on my own. I looked at Google.
The search engines at Google do show 311,000 hits for mom’s name.
There is a schoolteacher; but mom out taught any other Mrs. Lucas, one-by-one, with the things that really count in life.
There is a book author, but mom never wrote a book.
She was only concerned that her name, and as many as she could educate, got their name written in the Book of Life.
There is a civil engineer with mom’s name, but mom was only an engineer at civility.
I did not look at the other 311,000 Geraldine Lucas’.
I just wondered “What are we really searching for?”
Mom is very much alive in many hearts and memories.
The search engines at Google do NOT record… her laughter, her generosity, her kindness, her sensitivity, and her deep concern for all people, of all faiths.
She must been important to God.
He created her to last ~ precisely, from ~
Four Score and Seven Years ago…and everybody knows that unique line from our forefathers, and all that they created.
The obituary proclaims 99 grandchildren and GG’s
(great grandchildren) are mom’s legacy. My daughter Kellie will provide number 100 in a few months…..and this new young girl, is to be the FIRST in our family, to never know mom. It is up to all of us gathered, to let this child, this new arrival, know our mom, thru us.
Let this child know of God’s miracles.
God passed a bucket of 7 loaves and 2 fish, but it never emptied.
Mom did that every Thursday night before payday on Friday; and the crowd was always fed.
God split the Red Sea ; mom split a pie so keenly that one could cut the piece……… while the observer chose first. Solomon did not think that up!
God said “Feed my sheep”.
On GoErie Legacy, Kelly Meinhart wrote a condolence to us that said: “I only met her once or twice many years ago, and remember her to be a nice woman who was always trying to feed me!”
As kids, we recited many games together:
“Red Rover Red Rover let Audrey come over”;
“Tag! Your IT!, Doug;
and Colleen was often heard to say
“Shakespeare…kick in the Rear!”
Mom did not read Shakespeare, tho she is likely giving him a lecture in English ~ right now as I speak. In his play, King Lear, Shakespeare ended with a line proclaiming the end of the King:
(I use that line now as we proclaim farewell to our Queen)
“The weight of this sad time ~ we must obey
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say”
OK, I get it….Speak what we feel ~ not what we ought to say….
(sung to the tune of Mickey Mouse Club)
~~~Now it’s time to say goodbye to friends and fam-i-ly
G- E- R ~~ Y becuz we love you ~~~ R- I- E,
……L- U- C- A- S~~~
The statistics of our town,
the statistics of our search engines,
record many ~ so-called facts.
But what are we REALLY searching for?
Mrs. Lucas is recorded on the tablets of many hearts
for her kindness,
her gentle spirit,
her keen wit,
and her thoughtful deeds.
The search engines miss that heartbeat of life in this town,
the statistics miss her heartbeat of life in this family,
BOTH miss the heartbeat of her life in all of these hearts gathered here today.
I will miss her too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kim, and ALL her “C~O~M~P~A~N~Y” at Sunshine and Moonlight, you have greatly honored the woman you never met.
It will be remembered.
God bless you abundantly.
Danny Lucas