A SAD CHAPTER

By 1987, Chuck
and Rosemary had reached a point in their lives that they could only dream about a few years before.Their business success had given them financial independence and after years of hard work they were beginning to enjoy the fruits of their labor.But a phone call one morning in 1987
turned their dreams into a nightmare.Rosemary who had just taken a physical received a call from her doctor informing her that she had Leukemia,and would probably die witihin 6 months.It seemed so unfair for she had worked so hard to get to this point in her and Chuck's life and now she was not going to be able to reap the rewards that her sacrifices produced.

After the initial shock, Rosemary decided to fight this terrible desease.Because the doctor in Amarillo had not given her much of a chance by saying she would not last much beyond 6 months she decided to seek help elsewhere.Rosemary and Chuck packed their bags and set off for Houston where the best Cancer hospital in the world was located. By going to MD Anderson in Houston,the premier cancer hospital in the world she was given new hope.Their treatment and her will to live extended her life far more than 6 months, in fact she died in 1990 more than 3 years past her oiginal diagnosis.She fought the good fight, and in fact, during 2 of the 3 years she lived life to the fullest.Also her family was able to spend valuable time with her that they would not have been able to had she not decided to put up her valiant fight. While on chemotherapy, Rosemary and her son Tim even won the couples golf championship that in previous years always eluded them. She had refused to give up golf which was her favorite past time.

During another period when she was again taking chemo she had her first hole in one.

But the last year was her toughest for she had to spend the entire year in Houston at the cancer center.Chuck stayed by her side every minute while her son Tim and daughter- in- law Kay shuttled back and forth from Amarillo to not only be with her, but also to provide her with the blood she so desparately needed.

Dave and Donna also came to Houston
many times during 1989.Her nephew Robbie, who lived in Houston, came one to two times per week to give her blood.During the brief periods that she got to go home to Amarillo other family and friends like her nephew Jimmy would supply her with the blood that she needed to survive.God bless all the people thruout the world who give blood platelets routinely out of the goodness of their hearts for Lukemia victims they will never know.It is not an easy process where you must sit for an hour while a machine separates platlets from your blood.Even with all the help and support that her family and friends gave it was not enough and in the end the leukemia won.During the last few months Charles would sit by her side during the day and I (Tim) would spend the nights on a cot by her bedside.The nights I spent with her will stay with me forever.I would lay on my cot and the only sound in the room would be her breathing.Alhough she was in a Coma during her last weeks,the sound of her breathing gave me a sense of comfort.It was a familar comfort because it was like the comfort I felt as a child when I would fall asleep on my mothers lap.On the night of Jan. 20th,1990 I was awaken not by a sound but by a silence.The lord had come that evening and took my mother. She had lost her battle, but she was now at peace and no longer suffering.