Here & There Column 6-7-11

A Special Person In My Life

Many of us have those special persons in our lives where we never talk to them about our relationship and it hurts when we lose them without ever having that once in a lifetime opportunity to share what our true feelings in life meant to each other.
In April of this year during the Easter vacation my wife and I traveled to Kentucky and Tennessee and upon our return home learned of the death on April 18 of our "Special Aunt" Gladys Spettigue, a long time resident of Narrowsburg who also made her home at one stretch of time in Liberty.
"Glady" as I always called her was more then just an aunt to me and we shared a special personal secret that meant so much to both of us.
When growing up as a youngster I spent many days at the Spettigue household in Liberty and at two resident locations in Narrowburg where cousin Joan and I shared a special bonding that most cousins never have.
There are many memorable Wood-Spettigue family times that I will always hold close to my heart.
Gladys lived in her own home until October of last year and she would always tell me she was fine living alone and she took tremendous pride in her ability to maintain her independence even at the age of 94. My wife and I loved to surprise her by stopping in unannounced and then taking her to lunch or dinner in Honesdale.
Her late husband, Marvin "Bud" Spettigue, worked many years for New York State Electric & Gas both in Liberty and the Narrowsburg western Sullivan County area. Glady was also predeceased by her two daughters, Joan Morhmann and Judy Glick.
Her ability to live alone was greatly enhanced by two outstanding neighbors Doreen and Ed Kraus who looked after her daily needs for many years and two of the greatest grandchildren on this earth, Sandy Kehrley of Rockaway, NJ and Todd Mohrmann of New York City who spoke with her almost daily and handled most of her personal and business issues.
Time tends to heal the loss of those close to us but for the time being we greatly miss this loving, caring and very special person in our life.