I am sure this 'love' story will be unlike any
other you receive from pogo players. Let me tell you about a love story
between a group of women ... names like bells, myrt, hrtsandiamonds, frogggs,
bt, barrob, judith, and a wonderful lady who exemplified her name ... grace
... pogo name wintryqueen! We represented the east coast, south, west and
mountain areas ... as well as England.
The group of us met about 3 years ago in Payday
FreeCell and played in Shady Lanes and later in Queenie ... and you got it
... we are all 50+! This was before the Pogo Club days. It was a daily
ritual ... armed with fresh coffee, tea or coke we all met and began our day
together. I can't tell you what attracted me to Wintryqueen ... her humor
probably at first, but there was something more. It was her quiet manner
too. Each day she would leave us for a couple of hours to go help at the
school that was part of her church ... never a big deal ... just a 'be back
later ... time to help at the school.' I have no idea to this day what she
did ... help in the office, clean, provide aid for the teachers ... I just
don't know, but I do know that she never missed a day! How she loved her
church and that school!
And then one time when the jackpot maxed out, we
were all saying how we would spend the money ... all of us being frivolous
and joking around ... except Win. She wanted to get tables and chairs for
the school. How like her, and something about her quiet dedication made me
silently resolve that if I won that Jackpot, Win's church school would get
those tables and chairs! Of course, neither of us won!
Then Win began feeling bad ... trip after trip to
the doctor did not identify where the problem lie. One test after
another and no answers. Trouble swallowing, weight loss, and it was a
couple of months before
cancer of the esophagus was diagnosed.
Win met this head on ... with her strength of
her faith holding her up and her family beside her. She endured the surgery
last fall about this time and her recovery went well ... she was feeling
well enough to make a trip from Florida to Vegas. What a special day ...
she and Frogggs got to meet!
Pogo Club changed the dynamics of our group
somewhat ... as some joined, some did not and we all found new 'favorite'
games, but somehow we all stayed in touch and managed to pop in and find our
friends in one room or another.
In the first days of spring this year, Win popped
in a room bt and I were in and shared with us that the cancer was back ...
this time in her neck, lymph nodes, lungs and one other place that I can't
recall at this moment. She said she chose not to endure further surgery or
radiation or chemo ... the doctor gave her about 6 months. I admired her
strength and courage as she faced the last few months of her life. Her
first priority was to her family ... her husband of 42 years, Marty, and her
children and 14 grandchildren. How she loved them, and in spite of her
pain, her final trip was to Kentucky to visit children and grandchildren
that lived there.
It was important to me that I do something to
honor her while she was still part of this world ... something that she
could see and enjoy! I asked her what I could get or do ... did the school
still need those table and chairs. Of course not, she and Marty had
provided them to the school a few months earlier. But she did mention that
the school grounds could use a plant. What a great idea .. something living
in her honor! Her pogo pals went to work and before long over $300 was
forwarded to the church/school to develop and plant a garden in Grace's
honor.
Her daughter, Wanda, went to work and soon
Grace's Garden began to take shape ... a bench, an arbor, and plants ...
roses, jasmine, and other plants. Grace was only able to visit the garden
one time as her health began to take its toll on her.
Grace died on the 2nd of June 2004 and oh how she
is missed by her all whose lives she touched. She was so loved by her
family, her church family and her pogo family. We miss her and hope Grace's
Garden brings a place for quiet thought and reflection for her family and
church.
So if you see 'wintryqueen' logged in, stop in
and say hi to Marty, Grace's husband who is maintaining her pogo name in her
memory .... or 'cyberrooker' , their daughter Wanda. Let them know just how
special their wife/mother was to a group of over 50 women who still miss her
humor and her quiet strength.
Pogo Editors: Marty's email is provided as you
may want to run this by him or get his okay before printing this. Thanks
for listening even if you don't use the story as Grace was indeed a special
friend who I still miss greatly!
Thank you, Connie Schulte