mom - Barbara Ann

Barbara Ann Storer Rasmussen was born December 1, 1935 to Lawrence John ( L.J.) and Zelma Juliet Storer. She had 6 sisters.... Orlene, Virgie (Virginia), Maxine, Ruth, Pat, Carol and 1 brother, Lyle John. I don't know much about her younger years except she had many falls, one out of the back of a truck, one on the sidewalk where she hit her forehead hard and I don't know, that's what I've been told from Aunt Pat and Aunt Orlene. Too bad I wasn't more interested and not afraid to ask more about her life, health, and all of it. She did well in school, dated, had friends - I think her bestie was Jerry Walker - . She married my dad on her birthday 1954.. I think. She and dad divorced a few months later, less than one year. I hear it was when I was 6 months old. We lived with my grandparents ( mom until she died and I until I was 17 and went to college). I remember dancing with her once when I was about 6-7, it made me so happy. We went shopping together, played games, watched TV, visited family, and took trips to California to see Uncle Lyle and Aunt Marva. She was interested in church but rarely attended. She read much on our church, cut out articles that meant something to her and put them in notebooks. She worked as a "pink lady" (volunteer) at the LDS hospital. From all the mistakes passing out meds, she was not able to continue volunteering. She was never able to drive once the epilepsy set in - or work. I would think this would be very depressing and discouraging, having to depend on others for going places. She spent a lot of time in her room. Our rooms were upstairs next to each other, so I could hear when she had seizures during the night. I doubt I'll ever forget the images of her convulsing, the fear and sadness it put in me. The seizures would usually make her very tired for a day or so after. Grandma Storer could get my mom laughing and giggling more than anyone I knew. Mom, grandma and I would walk to Kings or Albertsons often. In the winter, we would go through the canal - shortcut! Grandma would start laughing and joking about us making it down and up out of the canal. We would laugh so hard it was a miracle we every got out of the canal. Thank goodness for those memories. I watched mom fall, once at Albertsons which resulted in a broken nose. Once downtown walking and shopping. Another time she was boiling water for something and hit the side of the pan, spilling the boiling water on her stomach. That was a little traumatic. Off to yet another dr. to check out the burns. I also watched as she would take handfuls of medications that were supposed to help with the seizures. It seemed that with time, no matter the amount of medications, the seizures got worse, affecting her moods and personality. The worse time for her and for me was when whoever decided... sent her to Nampa to live in a mental health institution. She would write letters home about being in a room with a crazy lady, how homesick she was and wanted to come home. Finally, grandma, grandpa and I think Aunt Pat said it was enough and to get her home. When the car pulled up in front of the house and mom got out of the car, I took off running as fast as I could to hug her. I was probably about 10 years old. I was so happy she was home!! I can only imagine this is how it will be when I see her again on the other side. The last time I saw her alive... she wanted some independence, so she moved into a apartment which was a motel turned into apts. There was a physchologist or dr. that was over all those with disabilities that lived there. She would come home on weekends to spend with us. I don't think she was there longer than a couple weeks, maybe a couple weeks longer, when the dr. went to get her for lunch because she was late. He found her - she had fallen - he couldn't get her to respond so he called an ambulance. My aunts were eating lunch just down the road, they saw the ambulance go by, not knowing it was their sister being taken to the hospital. The phone call came, grandma and grandpa took off in a hurry. I was going up to my room in tears when I heard grandpa come back in the house and call my name. I didn't answer him. I don't know what he wanted but I knew it wasn't good. I knew in my soul that mom wasn't coming back. It was a gut wrenching feeling. Finally someone took me to the hospital and I don't even recall who took me, I just know it was a very sad time. Her options from the dr.and tests taken were she would remain in a vegetative state for life or to take her off life support and let her go. Uncle Keith led our family in prayer in another room at the hospital. It was decided to take mom off life support. I do remember a kind nurse following me to a bathroom where I tried with all I had to be sick and release the unbelievable hurt I was feeling. That night I spent with Aunt Ruth and Uncle Keith. My cousins had no idea what to say to me, so we were just very quiet. Aunt Ruth took me back to the hospital the next day. We all spent the next very long hours waiting for my mom to pass on. I watched her die. Me, grandma, grandpa and aunts. We all were around her hospital bed when she took her last breath.... June 2, 1972. Aunt Carol cried and took moms hand, patting it. From that day on, life was a blur for a really long time. She was only 36.