My Mother’s Last Illness

Elliott graduated from Washington High School in May, 1979.  That fall he entered school as a freshman at Abilene Christian University.   During his first year of college he lived with my mother and father at Clyde.  When the spring semester ended, he came home for the summer.  He got a part time job as a disk jockey for a Christian radio station in Cedar Rapids, and he got the lead role in the musical version of Shenandoah, which was performed at a dinner theater. 

When it came time for him to go back to Abilene, we realized we were facing a serious problem. Mama was facing a significant medical problem.  A physician thought she was suffering from a serious ulcer, but when the various ulcer treatments had no effect, a surgeon decided to do exploratory surgery.  We knew it was serious. 

The surgery took place in March of 1980.  Ann was in school at Mount Mercy.  Elliott was at ACU, and we had three younger children at home.  I just couldn’t see how I could financially afford to make the trip for her surgery.

On Sunday morning one of the elders met between the Bible Class and the Morning Worship.  He said, “Isn’t your mother having surgery tomorrow?”  I told him she was.  He asked me if I planned to go.  I told him that I didn’t.   He said, “Is the reason, financial?”  I admitted that it was.   He said, “If you want to go the money for the plane ticket is there.”   By two o’clock that afternoon I was on an airplane headed for Texas.  The seven day waiting rule on cheaper fares didn’t apply at that time.

I barely made connections in Dallas.  My luggage didn’t make it, but I arrived in Abilene about 10 o’clock that evening.   The airlines people gave me a shaving kit, and I went home with Daddy for the rest of the night.  The next morning we drove back to Abilene for her surgery.   At this point her mind was pretty clear, so we were thankful for that.   When the surgery was ended, the doctor met us and said, “I found a stomach cancer.  Stomach cancer is the worst kind, but I think I got it all.”  He said, “She needs chemotherapy, but she’s too weak to stand it.”   She came home in a few days, but as things turned out she only had a few months to live.