Here is a link to a really nice story the Fort Worth Star-Telegram did on Jerry:
http://www.star-telegram.com/obituaries/story/136547.html
And, here is a link to the slide show I had planned on running randomly and continuously at the wake, at the house after Jerry's memorial service. I was not able to show it because the electricity was out from before the first guest arrived until just as the last guest was leaving. They are in no particular order, as I was planning on running them in shuffle mode:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=c2fq0ej.3y04x7e3&x=0&y=-f7yebr
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Friday, June 8, 2007
Dad
Wayne drove Nolie to Houston today to pick up Jerry. Or, Jerry's ashes, I should say. I did not drive with them, as I had already expressed my displeasure with the idea of leaving Houston in the first place, on Tuesday, knowing we would only have to return on Thursday to retrieve the cremains. The word "cremains" reminds me of "craisins," the snack mix with cranberries and raisins.
I went looking through old family photo albums today, and found many pictures of Jerry, and his father, Grandaddy. (Other people called him Earnest, but I called him Grandaddy.) It occurred to me, and I did the math, that Grandaddy died when Daddy was just 44. I am only 40 today, and it must have been just as difficult for Dad then, as it is for me now. I remember Grandaddy was living at the Old Folk's Home in Mansfield, Texas, where we would visit him occasionally, and one night, the phone rang and the person calling said that Mr. Foose was being transferred to the Arlington Community Hospital. Mom and Dad left and came back several hours later, and Grandaddy was dead. In the mean time, Alien debuted on VEU, (pronounced "view") and scared the hell out of me while my parents were both gone and I was home alone. (VEU was a subscription service similar to HBO, except it was broadcast over the airwaves on a UHF channel after 7pm and you had to pay to have a special decoder box to decode the signal.) VEU was a precursor to cable. So, anyway, Nolie and Jerry left the house in a panic, were gone long enough for me to watch Alien in it's entirety, then came home and told me Grandaddy was dead. Alien always reminds me of my Grandfather.
I went looking through old family photo albums today, and found many pictures of Jerry, and his father, Grandaddy. (Other people called him Earnest, but I called him Grandaddy.) It occurred to me, and I did the math, that Grandaddy died when Daddy was just 44. I am only 40 today, and it must have been just as difficult for Dad then, as it is for me now. I remember Grandaddy was living at the Old Folk's Home in Mansfield, Texas, where we would visit him occasionally, and one night, the phone rang and the person calling said that Mr. Foose was being transferred to the Arlington Community Hospital. Mom and Dad left and came back several hours later, and Grandaddy was dead. In the mean time, Alien debuted on VEU, (pronounced "view") and scared the hell out of me while my parents were both gone and I was home alone. (VEU was a subscription service similar to HBO, except it was broadcast over the airwaves on a UHF channel after 7pm and you had to pay to have a special decoder box to decode the signal.) VEU was a precursor to cable. So, anyway, Nolie and Jerry left the house in a panic, were gone long enough for me to watch Alien in it's entirety, then came home and told me Grandaddy was dead. Alien always reminds me of my Grandfather.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
The Jerry Foose Memorial Scholarship
The Jerry Foose Memorial Scholarship has been established. Jerry's memory may be honored with a gift to:
The Jerry Foose Memorial Scholarship at White Deer ISD
P O Box 517
White Deer TX 79079
The Jerry Foose Memorial Scholarship at White Deer ISD
P O Box 517
White Deer TX 79079
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Memorial Service
A memorial service honoring Jerry's life will be held Friday June 15, 2007 at 4:00 p.m. at Shepherd of Life Lutheran Church, 715 East Lamar Boulevard, Arlington, Texas 76011.
Arrangements are being made to establish the Jerry Foose Memorial Scholarship Fund at White Deer High School in White Deer, Texas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to this fund once it is established, or to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, or to the charity of one's choice.
Arrangements are being made to establish the Jerry Foose Memorial Scholarship Fund at White Deer High School in White Deer, Texas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to this fund once it is established, or to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, or to the charity of one's choice.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Aria
Nolie was right. Daddy died today after she told him goodbye and left the room. I think he didn't want her to see him go. It happened very quickly after she left the hospital to go to the hotel to take a shower.
I noticed that his breathing was much less labored than it had been for the last two days, so I went over and held his hand. Eventually the breathing stopped. I contemplated calling the nurse, but instead, just waited until she came in with the next dose of Methadone. When she arrived I mentioned that he didn't seem to be moving much air, so she went to get her stethoscope. After listening with her stethoscope, she said she was going to get the Doctor because she couldn't hear anything. Okay, I've seen enough ER episodes to know what that means. Dr. Reddy made it official at about 1:04 p.m. CDT. I called Nolie and she came back right away.
Nolie pointed out that he held on long enough to get his June paycheck, and then she realized that June 2, 1958 was the day Jerry saw her going into the Administration Building on the UT Austin Campus to pay the Bursar for her classes. Nolie and Jerry had dated in the past, but hadn't seen each other for four years. Jerry waited outside for her and called her name when she came back out. Nolie recognized him immediately because Jerry always wore prescription sunglasses, and they've been together ever since. I choose to believe that he remembered today was the day, because it just makes a better story.
I will post more information here regarding services, etc. as it becomes available.
I noticed that his breathing was much less labored than it had been for the last two days, so I went over and held his hand. Eventually the breathing stopped. I contemplated calling the nurse, but instead, just waited until she came in with the next dose of Methadone. When she arrived I mentioned that he didn't seem to be moving much air, so she went to get her stethoscope. After listening with her stethoscope, she said she was going to get the Doctor because she couldn't hear anything. Okay, I've seen enough ER episodes to know what that means. Dr. Reddy made it official at about 1:04 p.m. CDT. I called Nolie and she came back right away.
Nolie pointed out that he held on long enough to get his June paycheck, and then she realized that June 2, 1958 was the day Jerry saw her going into the Administration Building on the UT Austin Campus to pay the Bursar for her classes. Nolie and Jerry had dated in the past, but hadn't seen each other for four years. Jerry waited outside for her and called her name when she came back out. Nolie recognized him immediately because Jerry always wore prescription sunglasses, and they've been together ever since. I choose to believe that he remembered today was the day, because it just makes a better story.
I will post more information here regarding services, etc. as it becomes available.
The Fat Lady Has Requested That the Lighting Designer Add Some Gels To Enhance Her Appearance
This Fat Lady moves pretty slowly.
Not much change today. Dad seems less restless to me, and seems to be keeping his arm in the bed instead of hanging it over the side like he was last night. The Weekend Doctor came in this morning and asked us again if we would like to stop the antibiotics. We said yes. They're not really doing anything anymore, and even if Dad's prognosis was different, they would have run their course by now.
Nolie keeps asking the doctors and nurses how long this will go on. Of course, it's a difficult question to answer, and they most often they respond with "any time now." Nolie suggested today that maybe it's like when I was born. Nothing was happening several hours after Mom went into labor, so Dad left the hospital and took Dumpling and Osito to Dr. Ferrell's office in Grand Prairie for their annual vaccinations. That's when I finally decided to make my entrance. I asked Nolie if she wanted to go to the vet's office, and she said no, that she might go buy some new panties since all her clean ones are already packed in the car. I can't believe I'm in a hospital room in Houston, Texas with my dying father, talking to my mother about her panties.
Not much change today. Dad seems less restless to me, and seems to be keeping his arm in the bed instead of hanging it over the side like he was last night. The Weekend Doctor came in this morning and asked us again if we would like to stop the antibiotics. We said yes. They're not really doing anything anymore, and even if Dad's prognosis was different, they would have run their course by now.
Nolie keeps asking the doctors and nurses how long this will go on. Of course, it's a difficult question to answer, and they most often they respond with "any time now." Nolie suggested today that maybe it's like when I was born. Nothing was happening several hours after Mom went into labor, so Dad left the hospital and took Dumpling and Osito to Dr. Ferrell's office in Grand Prairie for their annual vaccinations. That's when I finally decided to make my entrance. I asked Nolie if she wanted to go to the vet's office, and she said no, that she might go buy some new panties since all her clean ones are already packed in the car. I can't believe I'm in a hospital room in Houston, Texas with my dying father, talking to my mother about her panties.
Friday, June 1, 2007
You Don't Have To Speak English To Teach Math
It is 8:05 p.m. and the night nurse just came in to introduce himself. His name is Jian, pronounced "Jan" and reminds me of a TA I had in college for Business Math. Her name was "Jane." I never got to know "Jane" very well, as I'm about to explain.
On the first day of this class, the TA introduced herself to the class and wrote her name on the chalk board. We still had chalk boards when I was in college. The name that "Jane" wrote on the board was her actual name; the one her parents gave her when she was born, in China. It began with an X and was about 29 characters long. "Jane" was difficult at best to understand, and math has never really been something that comes easily for me, but I was determined to understand, as she explained, how she got "Jane" from "X????????????????????????????." For the next several minutes, "Jane" took various letters from her X word and eventually came up with the word "Xihn." She then said, "see, Jane." I immediately picked up my book bag and went directly to West Hall to stand in the add/drop line. We had to stand in line to drop a class when I was in college.
Jerry likes to hang his left hand off the edge of the bed lately. It makes it swell, so we keep moving it back to the bed on top of a pillow, but when I tried to do that again just a few minutes ago, his face grimaced with obvious pain, so I think I'll just let the arm dangle if that's how he wants it.
Nolie is staying at the hospital tonight, but I'm not sure I'm up for a night with Jian. I definitely know that I'm not up for a night with Jian and Nolie. I think I'll hang out here for another round of vital signs, and if nothing changes, go back to the hotel.
On the first day of this class, the TA introduced herself to the class and wrote her name on the chalk board. We still had chalk boards when I was in college. The name that "Jane" wrote on the board was her actual name; the one her parents gave her when she was born, in China. It began with an X and was about 29 characters long. "Jane" was difficult at best to understand, and math has never really been something that comes easily for me, but I was determined to understand, as she explained, how she got "Jane" from "X????????????????????????????." For the next several minutes, "Jane" took various letters from her X word and eventually came up with the word "Xihn." She then said, "see, Jane." I immediately picked up my book bag and went directly to West Hall to stand in the add/drop line. We had to stand in line to drop a class when I was in college.
Jerry likes to hang his left hand off the edge of the bed lately. It makes it swell, so we keep moving it back to the bed on top of a pillow, but when I tried to do that again just a few minutes ago, his face grimaced with obvious pain, so I think I'll just let the arm dangle if that's how he wants it.
Nolie is staying at the hospital tonight, but I'm not sure I'm up for a night with Jian. I definitely know that I'm not up for a night with Jian and Nolie. I think I'll hang out here for another round of vital signs, and if nothing changes, go back to the hotel.
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