Maria Doddema (McGinty) passed away on February 5, 2010. Her daughter, Holly McGinty Kling provides the eulogy below:
February 17, 2010
Dear Mom
Current mood: crushed
Category: Life
Dear Mom,
I’m certainly going to miss you. I can’t believe you’re really gone. You’ll always live in my heart and I’ll always have the memories. I will always have you in my life, you will be right beside me, even if I can’t see you. I consider myself to be a lucky woman, as I had your love for 55 years. Some daughters aren’t that fortunate to have that love or to have their mothers as long as I did. What gives me comfort is that you passed away knowing how much your two grown daughters loved you. You knew how much your only granddaughter loved you and how proud you were of her with her aspirations of being a nurse anestheist. I’m glad that we were all by your side so you wouldn’t be scared. Damn this is so difficult to write when tears are blurring my vision.
For those of you who didn’t know my mom, let me tell you a little about her life. More >
This really isn’t as wordless as I would like but some background is most likely necessary for these photos especially considering this is for genealogy purposes.
It’s Christmas Day 1994. I was in the United States Air Force Basic Training Camp at Lackland Air Force Base located outside of San Antonio, Texas. Our TI (training instructor) was ever so kind enough to let us go to the Base Exchange (BX) so we could buy needed items such as soap, etc. Several in my flight knew about the little photo booth located there so we all made notecards for our loved ones since we weren’t allowed to make phone calls at that time.
I think the photos themselves describe how I was feeling that day; being gone from my wife of only a year and our newborn son, only 3 months old.
This is the headstone of my great grandfather and grandmother. Stats follow.
- Berend Doddema (1890-1948)
- Marijke Staal (1892-1982)
Berend Doddema & Marijke Staal
My friend and genealogy hero, Renee Zamora, is the owner of Renee’s Genealogy Blog and winner of the coveted “Family History Expo Blogger of Honor”.
One of the things that makes her my “genealogy hero” is she shares what she knows. She goes behind the scenes on why she does genealogy a certain way (very helpful for newbs!). She also spreads all the latest genealogy news. Lastly, although disabled, she doesn’t let it slow her down. Being disabled myself, I respect that. I look up to her. Therefore, she’s my first Follow Friday pick!
Our Wedding Day
Bernard Doddema, Jr and Kara Lynn Peterson married at the Idaho Falls Temple on September 16, 1993.
Note: Best day of my life!
