“They tell me I was born in 1942. That makes me 78 years old. The night I was born, there was a storm. My dad drove to Liberty County, to Dayton, Texas, to get the midwife. But he didn’t make it back in time. Somehow, … Continue readingAs new-born baby, he helped save mother’s life
“After everything is over, it really starts to sink in. Then everybody forgets about you. They forget that your baby died. And that’s when it’s really hard. People just kind of move on. Obviously, your loved ones care. But there’s this pain that’s just yours. … Continue readingFamily faced with life after son’s death
“We didn’t know what to expect. They told us it might be a stillbirth. I had a C-section at about seven months so he wouldn’t have to struggle any more than needed. And Oliver was born on March 20, 2019. It was a really beautiful … Continue reading‘We made the call: cut the ventilator’
(During this time of COVID-19 and social distancing, we’ve been forced to alter many aspects of our lives. This includes how we deal with death and honoring our loved ones. In this essay, Susan Cummings describes what that meant for her family.) Funerals are for … Continue readingCoronavirus changes how we bring closure
“After all I’ve been through, I’m fortunate to be here alive today. I’ve had heart surgery. I’ve been shot multiple times. I’ve lost close friends. It got to the point where I didn’t care about life anymore. I was done. I turned to drugs, alcohol … Continue reading‘I should be gone, but I’m still here’
“I grew up with messed-up feet. They were real club-footed, like turned in. To help fix them, I had to wear these casts that went all the way up my legs. When I was 8, they cut them down to below my knees. I also … Continue readingAfter friend’s death, ‘I just let go of the wheel’
“I don’t do too much of nothing these days. Work around the house. Come out here to the park and watch the water. Just relaxing. I’m 74. Sometimes I think about going back to work. I get kind of bored. “My wife died about two … Continue readingTime doesn’t heal wound left by wife’s death
“I was 19 years old in 1941. In those days, you didn’t work on Sundays. Nothing was open. It was a special day. So when Pearl Harbor happened, I was so frustrated. How could they attack on a Sunday morning? “I was so proud of … Continue readingNavy veteran: ‘We never thought we would survive’
“My wife had diabetes, and she liked to eat sweets. I would tell her, ‘Baby, please stay away from that.’ She would say to me, ‘Are you a doctor?’ I would say, ‘No, I’m not a doctor. But I watch TV. I see things. It’s … Continue readingComplications from diabetes takes ‘a good woman’
NameKathleen Merritt Age55 How long have you lived in Baytown?37 years Most interesting fact about youI have survived a lot of trials, tribulations and tragedies. BackgroundI was raised in Philadelphia. I moved here in 1982 with my family after our mother passed away. I found … Continue readingKathleen Merritt: chooses joy despite tragedies