Chester Chatter: In honor of Vivian and Helene

By Ruthie Douglas
©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC

I used to honor two mothers on Mother’s Day: my own mother and my mother-in-law.

Every Mother’s Day, my mother Vivian would receive a wide variety of gifts seeing that there were five of us daughters. My gifts to her were apt to be things I made at school. Many were stuck together with paste, so much so that you could see my fingerprints walking across them. Then on the bottom I printed “Love you, Ruthie” with the date.

When my mother died, and we were cleaning out her home, I found a box filled with the treasured gifts that I had made, including several unused ash trays. (No one in the house smoked.)

My mother-in-law Helene also was very special to me. She taught me many skills such as how to cook and care for a home. But most of all she taught me to always laugh and be happy.  For 30 years, when they got older, my in-laws lived in a small apartment within the farmhouse.  After my husband Don died, they continued to live in that apartment, near to me. It was a great arrangement.

And our daughters learned many things from their grandmothers. I always think of these women on Mother’s Day and how lucky I was to have them in my life.

Scene and heard

Nicholas Houghton of Breezy Lane participated in the Apple Blossom Cotillion at the Community Players building in Springfield. Nicholas sold the most Apple Blossom leaves for their fund-raiser. Good job, Nicholas.

The Children’s Fishing Derby sponsored by the Chester Rod & Gun Club will be held at the Chester Reservoir next Saturday.

I performed a marriage for my new neighbors, John and Shelly Alger, on Saturday. Best wishes to the new couple!

I enjoyed getting together with my family on Mother’s Day. For the first time in so many months I was able to hug and kiss my grandsons.