52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 23 Prompt - Health

2024

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 23

Prompt – Health

Mary McLaughlin - June, 1988

I was looking through photographs (as I often do) and found this photograph of my maternal grandmother – Mary McLaughlin. It was dated June 1988. I did not take the photograph and in fact I can't remember how it became mine.

I vaguely recalled that she suffered a stoke sometime in the summer of 1987. Thus when I saw this dated photograph of June 1988 she seemed to be using both hands to cut the strawberries. I didn't think that was possible. I realized I did not know how grandmother McLaughlin's last few years had unfolded. I had lived away from home for over 10 years. I was busy with my young family. I decided to ask my sister, Bonnie about it. Could she fill in grandma's story of her last few years for me?

Mary McLaughlin (nee: Krikau) was born on June 8, 1903 in Warenburg, Samara Province, Volga Valley, Russia. In January of 1987 Mary lost her daughter, Vivian (my mother). It had to be difficult for her.

1987 was the year that Bonnie recorded her oral history about the Krikau family and how they came to Canada from Russia.

It seemed like grandmother was quite healthy in the early part of 1987, In June 1987 she turned 84 years old and celebrated at her son - Uncle Wally, Phyllis and family in Ontario. 

Mary McLaughlin - June 8, 1987 - 84th Birthday

 Bonnie wrote this about our grandmother.

 

In July while Bonnie's family was getting ready for Lynn's baptism, Bonnie was informed that grandmother was being taken to St. Paul's Hospital for incontinence and confusion. Grandmother had suffered a stroke. Grandmother would never go back to her home after this. Shortly after she was transferred to University Hospital Geriatric Care. Bonnie said she had gone to visit grandma and a pile of wash clothes were on a table in front of her and she was struggling to fold them. Bonnie also realized at this time that the stroke had taken grandma's language.

Several weeks after being in the University Hospital she was transferred to a private home with 24 hour nursing care. Bonnie said that it was a bi level home and “the with it clients “ were upstairs and grandmother was downstairs. It was believed by Bonnie and Uncle Wally (grandmother's son) that she was receiving very little care. She became combative. Thus Uncle Wally decided to put her in Parkridge Nursing Home in Fairhaven. It happened to be 6 blocks from Bonnie's home. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On August 1, 1989 Mary McLaughlin died. She was suppose to have surgery to remove her gangrene leg. However as Bonnie put it “God had mercy on her and took her home. She had lots of fight in her up until they locked her in a nursing home. She slowly faded away – she lost her voice, she lost her mobility and totally lost her mind. That good and faithful servant of God's suffers no more.”

Bonnie said that she really misses grandma but know she is probably busy baking cookies for “the old folks” in heaven.

I don't remember much of this. I did go once to Fairhaven to visit her but it must have been a good day. I do remember that she didn't speak much and did not recognize us.

Bonnie feels that the photograph of grandmother cutting strawberries was a posed photograph from the first private nursing home so Uncle Wally could see how well she was in their care. Who knows?

Her health declined rather quickly – from baking cookies to being spoon fed; from lucid to non-communicative; from travelling independently on buses to bedridden.

All so sad.

Wendy