“CLEAN YOUR PLATE, THERE ARE STARVING CHILDREN IN AFRICA” – Community Spotlight
Whenever you heard that phrase from your mom, under your breath didn’t you always say “let’s send it to them?”
Last month when I featured Marcus Marquart in this column, I didn’t have room to explore one of his comments. His remarks revolved around his respect for his mother, Ruth Marquart. What better time than with Mother’s Day right around the corner then to go back and expand a bit about Ruth, along with two other admirable women. But before we move on, “shut the door, were you born in a barn?”
I have had the privilege of knowing Ruth through my work home Kingston Residence, where Ruth resides, as well as our church, Waynedale United Methodist Church. It is not unusual to see Ruth, 90 years young, heading out the door to Mathew 25 where she has volunteered for a quarter of a century, or to Spiece where she enjoys Tai Chi a couple of times a week. I might find her upstairs baking a batch of cookies in our community kitchen and I often smell fresh bread wafting from her apartment as I move about the building. She enjoys the water therapy class at our sister community, Kingston Care Center, every Friday and previously always generously gave of her time and support to the food bank at the churches she belonged to.
Ruth was one of seven children and she and her husband, Warren, raised eight children. Her strong faith has carried her through burying her husband as well as three of her children and a granddaughter. Those tragedies have not deterred Ruth. She remains upbeat, optimistic and is always caring for others.
Marcus shared that Ruth had never had a driver’s license until she got her learner’s permit at the same time that he did. Seemingly always pregnant, Ruth complained that Marcus always got the car far more than she did! His favorite “momisms” from Ruth are “the Golden Rule; always treating others as you would have them treat you” coming in first. Second is “You don’t know how someone else feels or thinks until you have walked a mile in their moccasins”.
Another local humble mom is Cynthia Cornwell. This active lady is mom to Alex and Jordan Cornwell. Alex is owner of the Waynedale News and his brother Jordan is President of the Waynedale Business Chamber and also works at the paper. Cindy is the editor, sometimes photographer, oftentimes writer and wears whatever other hat Alex needs for her to wear.
Jordan shares “Mom grew up in Whitewater, WI on a big farm, which she worked on for most of her childhood. This lead to her being crowned “Hampshire Queen” of Sauk County. She’s always loved animals, and a short while after she moved to Fort Wayne (1995-1996) she took up working part-time at different boarding stables to be around horses again. That’s one of Jordan’s fondest memories growing up, being around horses a lot and able to ride them every day. Cindy first worked as a dental assistant, then moved to the Waynedale News. She’s always loved golfing, and as of the recent few years, running. Cindy just completed the Boston Marathon and participates in numerous other races throughout the year. She also volunteers for Southwest Honey Co.
Jordan continues “She’s very hard-working, independent, and has a big heart! Growing up, I always admired how many people she knew and how many people knew her. We couldn’t go anywhere without someone yelling her name and coming over to talk.” Both he and Alex agree that their “momism” from Cindy is a warning to “not get burnt out working all the time!”
I can’t write about admirable women this Mother’s Day without boasting just a smidge about my own mom and mentor, Thelma Newcomb. She has always been my staunchest supporter in whatever endeavor I am undertake. I call her “MacGyver” because whenever I am stumped on a creative issue, she pulls pieces of this and that out of her cupboard and fashions the solution. She sews clothing protectors for Kingston and does a variety of odd “jobs” for each of her other three children as well. She often drives friends to their doctor appointments and is a part of the prayer chain at church. At 87 years young, Mom has a “can do” attitude that won’t quit. I feel so blessed to have inherited her tenacity, her “energizer bunny” metabolism and her mostly salt and pepper gray hair. My favorite “momisms” are “if all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you too?” As well as “always tell the truth.”
There is something that Marcus, Alex, Jordan and I all share; the love, respect and pride that we all have for our mothers. We know there are amazing Moms throughout our community. So to Moms everywhere on this special day, THANK YOU ~ for ALL that you do! And by the way, don’t forget to wear clean underwear, just in case you get in an accident!
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