Mary Frances Huss

My name is Bob Huss; my mother Mary passed away almost a week ago, on December 30th, 2023, from Alzheimer's disease. She was diagnosed only a year or so before, but went downhill fast over the last few months, and suffered from the cruel erosion of her ability to speak and think, and eventually her ability to even swallow food or water. At the end, all of her kids and grandkids were here with her.

I am finding it hard to write about Mom, about who she was, and what she meant to me. She was widowed in 1973, at the age of 22, with a two year old son (me) to raise as a single mom. Over the years and decades, Mom took in family, friends, friends of family, and even the odd near-stranger - whoever was in need. For an only child, I had a lot of (almost, sometimes temporary) siblings. Finally, she took in, adopted, and raised my three sisters, Sondra, Kasara, and Georgina. Then she went to work for Family Ties, helping who knows how many people with fostering, adopting, and caring for their kin and near-kin. Mom meant the world to me, but she meant a lot to a lot of people over the years. I don't have the words to encompass all that she was.

And now her time on Earth is done.

Mom had decided that she would be cremated, and her ashes buried with in my Dad, at the Garden of Memories here in Salinas, CA. All told, this will cost about $6,500, for cremation, services (date to be determined), burial, updating the headstone, and whatever other fees come up. Money is tight - welcome to the 2020s - and Mom didn't have any savings or life insurance. Thus, we could use help in covering the costs. If you can help, we thank you for it - ever bit will help.

Rest in peace, Mom; we'll miss you for the rest of our lives.

Thank you.