oops--forgot to post addresses to locations for Patricia's prayer service, funeral, and wake.
Prayer service at Heritage Funeral Home, 57th and south Minnesota Avenue,
7 PM Friday, June 17th.
Funeral: St. Joseph's Cathedral School, 523 N. Duluth Avenue.
Services are in the school gym, as the church renovation is not yet completed. There is a ramp at the west end of the school by which you could enter. There are probably other doors that I am not aware of right now.
Interment: St. Michael's Cemetery, 3001 N. Cliff Avenue. You should be able to follow other cars. If you are making your own way there, go north on MN avenue to Russel St, turn right (east) and follow this road out to St. Michael's.
We will be going to the cemetery immediately after the funeral, then return to the school cafeteria for dinner.Father Fitzgerald has a tight schedule on Saturday, otherwise we would have had dinner first.
Annie
Wake: Mary and Randy's house, 1104 W. 5th St.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
She Made It
As some of you may have heard, our dear mother, Patricia Ann Fallon passed away this morning around 10 AM. Mary, Kevin, Steve and Kathy and I were here; Paul and Tom arrived within a couple of minutes, and Jane a short while after. Colleen had been here over Memorial Day weekend, and will be back to Sioux Falls soon with her family.
One of our hospice nurses, Mary, called us as we were sitting with Mom about 9 AM this morning, and I told her what we had for vitals. She came right over, and in the 10 minutes or so it took her to get here, Mom had begun to slow down more. By about 10 AM, mom took the advice we had been giving her for a couple of days, and left for Heaven. It was a moment we expected, tried to plan for (how silly!) and had difficulty integrating when it happened.We had so many layered emotions; it was a very powerful and humbling experience, and we were honored to be there with her.
We are planning so far to have a prayer service at 7 PM this Friday (Heritage Funeral Home), with a gathering at Mary and Randy's (1104 W. 5th St.) afterward, and then the funeral at 10 AM Saturday at Cathedral. The ceremony will be in the gym of the school, because the church is still under renovation. We will have a dinner in the school cafeteria afterward. Mom will be buried at St. Michael's Cemetery next to Donald. That is just 10 minutes or so away from Cathedral. I will post a map in the morning, with all the relevant destinations. Just so you know, we have to get the final confirmation from Fr. Fitzpatrick tomorrow, but the church secretary said that these times should work with his schedule. Another item: we have not decided yet the order of events following the funeral--dinner then cemetery? Or cemetery then dinner? :) We may arrange things so that dinner will begin to be served, while those who wish to leave for the cemetery do so. We are sure there will be people who will not be going out to St. Michael's, and they could have dinner and visit while we do that.
Thanks for your kind calls and visits. You have lifted all of us up, especially Patricia.
Love,
Annie
Kevin here, just wanted to add that when the Hospice chaplain came for a prayer service after she passed, we had a chance to sing a couple of Mom's favorite songs for her giving a final send off, we sang Amazing Grace and When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and we think Mom was singing along.
The Friday night prayer service will be at Heritage Funeral Home at 4800 S. Minnesota Ave., in Sioux Falls. It is on the southeast corner of Minnesota Ave and 57th Street.
The funeral service is in the school gym right next to St. Joseph's Cathedral at 5th St. and N. Duluth. You can also park in the school parking lot behind the gym. That entrance is off of 4th St and Summit Ave.
We thank one and all for the kind thoughts, prayers and condolences that have been extended to our family. Thank you to each and all!
One of our hospice nurses, Mary, called us as we were sitting with Mom about 9 AM this morning, and I told her what we had for vitals. She came right over, and in the 10 minutes or so it took her to get here, Mom had begun to slow down more. By about 10 AM, mom took the advice we had been giving her for a couple of days, and left for Heaven. It was a moment we expected, tried to plan for (how silly!) and had difficulty integrating when it happened.We had so many layered emotions; it was a very powerful and humbling experience, and we were honored to be there with her.
We are planning so far to have a prayer service at 7 PM this Friday (Heritage Funeral Home), with a gathering at Mary and Randy's (1104 W. 5th St.) afterward, and then the funeral at 10 AM Saturday at Cathedral. The ceremony will be in the gym of the school, because the church is still under renovation. We will have a dinner in the school cafeteria afterward. Mom will be buried at St. Michael's Cemetery next to Donald. That is just 10 minutes or so away from Cathedral. I will post a map in the morning, with all the relevant destinations. Just so you know, we have to get the final confirmation from Fr. Fitzpatrick tomorrow, but the church secretary said that these times should work with his schedule. Another item: we have not decided yet the order of events following the funeral--dinner then cemetery? Or cemetery then dinner? :) We may arrange things so that dinner will begin to be served, while those who wish to leave for the cemetery do so. We are sure there will be people who will not be going out to St. Michael's, and they could have dinner and visit while we do that.
Thanks for your kind calls and visits. You have lifted all of us up, especially Patricia.
Love,
Annie
Kevin here, just wanted to add that when the Hospice chaplain came for a prayer service after she passed, we had a chance to sing a couple of Mom's favorite songs for her giving a final send off, we sang Amazing Grace and When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and we think Mom was singing along.
The Friday night prayer service will be at Heritage Funeral Home at 4800 S. Minnesota Ave., in Sioux Falls. It is on the southeast corner of Minnesota Ave and 57th Street.
The funeral service is in the school gym right next to St. Joseph's Cathedral at 5th St. and N. Duluth. You can also park in the school parking lot behind the gym. That entrance is off of 4th St and Summit Ave.
We thank one and all for the kind thoughts, prayers and condolences that have been extended to our family. Thank you to each and all!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Friday Night Notes
Hello from Sioux Falls,
Tonight finds us continuing to monitor Gram. She has been sleeping all day, except when we gave her care. Even then, she sometimes did not rouse. She is only minimally able to swallow, so no food (Ensure) today and just a few cc of water. She has had some trouble with leg cramps,which made her restless.. Our nurse helped us work out a plan with med. and warm towels from the dryer. The muscle finally relaxed, and so did Gram.
What we are working for right now is to keep her comfortable. So glad we have the hosp. bed. She seems more comfy with her head elevated.
It is so interesting that as Gram prepares to head back to heaven, we are also awaiting the birth of Maya Rose Wilmeth in Omaha. She was due on this past Wednesday, but seems to be holding out for a bit. She is Mary and Randy's second grandchild, and will be born to their daughter Rachael and her husband Mike.
This reminds me that Liz was born around the time that Grampa Don passed. Comings and goings....
In more arrival news, Kevin flew in from Denver yesterday, and we are so glad that he could come. Mom gave him several smiles when he got here, reached out to touch his arm. Kevin, Mary and I are sitting in Gram's room now, keeping her company and visiting with each other. Today Kevin made the most incredibly awesome chicken chili....fresh cilantro, celery, cheddar cheese, and a whole bunch of other great stuff. Best I ever tasted, extreme comfort food.
I am going to hang at home tomorrow instead of going to the art fair. Tom will take my display (and sell it all, I am sure!). He has some beautiful handcarved walking sticks, and pendants made of slices of interesting driftwood branches. He finds a lot of neat materials when hiking around the river. Our friend Lindsay will also be there, so that if we need Tom, he can zip over here in a short time.
Wow, the fireworks are going strong right now. The Sioux Falls Pheasants (used to be the Canaries) had a game tonight, and they always have some pyrotechnics afterward. Their stadium (aka The Birdcage) is not too far away. We can watch them and certainly hear them very well. Kind of fun. It is also nice to be a block away from Terrace Park when the Sunday night concert is going on.
It is a fun neighborhood in so many ways.
Mary and I met some of our new neighbors across the street. Becky is an energetic young mom with 4 little boys and another baby on the way. She is also an artist, and the three of us promised each other to get together for some artsy time one day.
Gram is still resting peacefully, all snuggled into her pillows and soft blankets. Will write again soon.
Love,
Annie, Kevin, Mary and all the Fallon kids.
Tonight finds us continuing to monitor Gram. She has been sleeping all day, except when we gave her care. Even then, she sometimes did not rouse. She is only minimally able to swallow, so no food (Ensure) today and just a few cc of water. She has had some trouble with leg cramps,which made her restless.. Our nurse helped us work out a plan with med. and warm towels from the dryer. The muscle finally relaxed, and so did Gram.
What we are working for right now is to keep her comfortable. So glad we have the hosp. bed. She seems more comfy with her head elevated.
It is so interesting that as Gram prepares to head back to heaven, we are also awaiting the birth of Maya Rose Wilmeth in Omaha. She was due on this past Wednesday, but seems to be holding out for a bit. She is Mary and Randy's second grandchild, and will be born to their daughter Rachael and her husband Mike.
This reminds me that Liz was born around the time that Grampa Don passed. Comings and goings....
In more arrival news, Kevin flew in from Denver yesterday, and we are so glad that he could come. Mom gave him several smiles when he got here, reached out to touch his arm. Kevin, Mary and I are sitting in Gram's room now, keeping her company and visiting with each other. Today Kevin made the most incredibly awesome chicken chili....fresh cilantro, celery, cheddar cheese, and a whole bunch of other great stuff. Best I ever tasted, extreme comfort food.
I am going to hang at home tomorrow instead of going to the art fair. Tom will take my display (and sell it all, I am sure!). He has some beautiful handcarved walking sticks, and pendants made of slices of interesting driftwood branches. He finds a lot of neat materials when hiking around the river. Our friend Lindsay will also be there, so that if we need Tom, he can zip over here in a short time.
Wow, the fireworks are going strong right now. The Sioux Falls Pheasants (used to be the Canaries) had a game tonight, and they always have some pyrotechnics afterward. Their stadium (aka The Birdcage) is not too far away. We can watch them and certainly hear them very well. Kind of fun. It is also nice to be a block away from Terrace Park when the Sunday night concert is going on.
It is a fun neighborhood in so many ways.
Mary and I met some of our new neighbors across the street. Becky is an energetic young mom with 4 little boys and another baby on the way. She is also an artist, and the three of us promised each other to get together for some artsy time one day.
Gram is still resting peacefully, all snuggled into her pillows and soft blankets. Will write again soon.
Love,
Annie, Kevin, Mary and all the Fallon kids.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Thursday. June 9
Hello everyone,
Sorry I have not been a good correspondent lately. Have been busy, (but mostly in my head) and just have not sat down to pull together thoughts about how we are doing. Alz. is such a rollercoaster. Three steps into decline, then two steps to the positive. You keep trying to anticipate needs, adjust the emotions and effort levels to meet those, but each day or week keeps bringing more surprises. It was also sad to have lost our cousin Kimmie.. What a vibrant lady she ahd been! Tom, Paul and Steve attended her funeral. Mary and I thought we should hang here, as things were a bit touch-and-go with Mom around that time.
Today, Mom seems to be fairly static in her declined functioning. She is very unresponsive, though she will open her eyes if we insist (just to see if she can). She is again not able to swallow, as she was over Memorial Day weekend. She has lost a great deal of weight due to being too tired to eat, or too disinterested. Our dear Mom may be on her way home for real this time, and we will be so happy for her when she does not have to endure more. We shall keep you posted. When she does pass away and we end up finalizing funeral arrangements, we are going to try for a Saturday, if possible. This could facilitate travel for a lot of people or make it easier for those who are working M-F to attend.
Steve and Kathy were here over the past weekend, and it was great having them around. Steve and Tom did some maintenance involving tall ladders (thank you so much!-I was not excited about climbing up there myself!!!). Kathy kept the laundry and dishwasher humming, in addition to being our supportive geriatric nurse consultant.
Last week, Susan and Mary Parsley came to visit. I know it was emotionally, and physically difficult for Mary, as she is still recovering from her hip surgery. Mom was awake, but sort of in her own world during the time they were here. We were hoping for a lucid window, and though that did not appear. She was able to smile several times, and I feel that Mom was aware, on some level, of the love between them.
The last two weeks we have been going through boxes and boxes of old photos. Surprisingly, we came across some that none of us remember ever seeing, such as portraits of our Fallon grandparents and great-grandparents, snaps of Mom and Dad during dating years, interesting events such as a skating party on the pond at the Sutton farm, with JJ (I think) in his Army uniform. There are several of young women all dressed up in the latest fashions (which they probably sewed themselves), standing in a row on the bottom step of the front porch of Gramma and Grampa Sutton's house.
There is a lovely 5 x 7 of an outdoor breakfast served by Nel Hartwig after a morning horse ride. Mom is wearing a pretty striped dress, and helping to set food out on a table. Looks as if it was a beautiful day. Nel is the professor from SDSU that introduced Mom and Dad. I wonder if Mom went riding....hmmm. Nel is outfitted in jodpurs and knee boots, ever the horsewoman. From the stories I have heard, she had enough personality for 5 people.
Sarah Arnold is making a photo slideshow for us so that we can share some of these little gems.
OK, my loved ones, time to get going and pull some things together. Tommy and I are going to try to represent at an art fair at Harrisburg on Saturday. We will have to see how things go on the homefront first, but we will still try to be ready in case it works out that we can go.
Take care of yourselves, and we will keep you posted.
Love,
Annie and all the Fallon kids
Sorry I have not been a good correspondent lately. Have been busy, (but mostly in my head) and just have not sat down to pull together thoughts about how we are doing. Alz. is such a rollercoaster. Three steps into decline, then two steps to the positive. You keep trying to anticipate needs, adjust the emotions and effort levels to meet those, but each day or week keeps bringing more surprises. It was also sad to have lost our cousin Kimmie.. What a vibrant lady she ahd been! Tom, Paul and Steve attended her funeral. Mary and I thought we should hang here, as things were a bit touch-and-go with Mom around that time.
Today, Mom seems to be fairly static in her declined functioning. She is very unresponsive, though she will open her eyes if we insist (just to see if she can). She is again not able to swallow, as she was over Memorial Day weekend. She has lost a great deal of weight due to being too tired to eat, or too disinterested. Our dear Mom may be on her way home for real this time, and we will be so happy for her when she does not have to endure more. We shall keep you posted. When she does pass away and we end up finalizing funeral arrangements, we are going to try for a Saturday, if possible. This could facilitate travel for a lot of people or make it easier for those who are working M-F to attend.
Steve and Kathy were here over the past weekend, and it was great having them around. Steve and Tom did some maintenance involving tall ladders (thank you so much!-I was not excited about climbing up there myself!!!). Kathy kept the laundry and dishwasher humming, in addition to being our supportive geriatric nurse consultant.
Last week, Susan and Mary Parsley came to visit. I know it was emotionally, and physically difficult for Mary, as she is still recovering from her hip surgery. Mom was awake, but sort of in her own world during the time they were here. We were hoping for a lucid window, and though that did not appear. She was able to smile several times, and I feel that Mom was aware, on some level, of the love between them.
The last two weeks we have been going through boxes and boxes of old photos. Surprisingly, we came across some that none of us remember ever seeing, such as portraits of our Fallon grandparents and great-grandparents, snaps of Mom and Dad during dating years, interesting events such as a skating party on the pond at the Sutton farm, with JJ (I think) in his Army uniform. There are several of young women all dressed up in the latest fashions (which they probably sewed themselves), standing in a row on the bottom step of the front porch of Gramma and Grampa Sutton's house.
There is a lovely 5 x 7 of an outdoor breakfast served by Nel Hartwig after a morning horse ride. Mom is wearing a pretty striped dress, and helping to set food out on a table. Looks as if it was a beautiful day. Nel is the professor from SDSU that introduced Mom and Dad. I wonder if Mom went riding....hmmm. Nel is outfitted in jodpurs and knee boots, ever the horsewoman. From the stories I have heard, she had enough personality for 5 people.
Sarah Arnold is making a photo slideshow for us so that we can share some of these little gems.
OK, my loved ones, time to get going and pull some things together. Tommy and I are going to try to represent at an art fair at Harrisburg on Saturday. We will have to see how things go on the homefront first, but we will still try to be ready in case it works out that we can go.
Take care of yourselves, and we will keep you posted.
Love,
Annie and all the Fallon kids
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