PICTORIAL PAGES Christel's home page Christel and siblings Emanuel Charlton et al Bob and his mother Doug and Christel Nancy and Christel ARTICLES Toasting on her 88th Happy 100th Birthday TRIBUTES Bob's Eulogy Gene's Elegy Darrel's Tribute Meredith's Tribute Nancy's Tribute |
--Bob Murdock - October 29, 1994 On this page we are celebrating the 88th birthday of a very nice lady, a popular resident of Wachusett Manor in Gardner, Massachusetts. I'm the eldest of her eight kids, and she names us with a smile for anyone who asks: Bob, Dot, Len, Gene, Barbara, Walter, Margie, Arthur. We grew up in an environment of love. A mischievous lot we were; Mom was strict with us, but not overbearing. When I fussed about doing a chore, she made me stand in the corner until I was ready to do it. Fair enough! After high school I joined the Navy, and Mom wrote to me regularly during my two and a half year tour of duty. Mail call was a high point, every day! She put together a scrap book honoring my service - a treasure that I still love to show people. --Sally Bacon 1. Her house always smelled like Dial soap - a nice clean welcoming smell. 2. She would serve us tomato soup made with water - which was a treat because Mom always used milk! 3. For supper dessert she almost always had yellow cake with chocolate frosting. 4. Each fall we would all help her put the beans through the wringer to shell them. 5. The best homemade ROOT BEER! --Nancy Murdock Mom, you told me that you and Dad liked pusley, a weed that grew vigorously in your garden. As a teenager, I thought eating pusley was weird. As a mature adult, I expressed a desire to try it. You prepared and froze a dish of pusley, which you served to me on my next visit. It was delicious! --Gene Murdock One day in Gardner when I was about 6 years old, I asked Mom if I could have something (I forget what). She said "No," I said "Why?" and she said "Can't everybody." This was a new phrase to me and I walked around all day saying it to myself in different ways to figure it out: CAN'T everybody? Can't EVERYbody? Can't everyBODY? Can't everybody? EVERYBODY CAN'T! I did the same thing many years later when I first heard the British expression "More's the pity." --Nancy Murdock Both Tamie and Carol Murdock enjoyed corresponding with you when they married our sons. You told them a lot about the family. Roy had to take his saxophone to practice when the children stayed with you during Ian's birth. When he took it out the first morning, you said, "Let's wait until Grandpa isn't home!" Valerie and Bob drew some cartoons to illustrate Bob's family memories for your and Dad's 45th anniversary. They were all happy memories. You always had great corn roasts in your back yard. All our children remember you as smiling a lot and being very sweet to them. You cooked special breakfasts and showed them where Bob's old books were kept. Mom, you are a very special person! |
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