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This page is dedicated to my Mother, Sheila.
I know that you are watching over me.
I miss you and will love you always.


My Mother was a beautiful,kind and
wonderful lady. She enjoyed dancing,reading,making ceramics,
fishing and snuggeling up with a bowl of popcorn and and old
movie, he favorite of which was Gone With The Wind.
She never had a harsh word to say about anyone
and she was a wonderful Mother as well as Grandmother.
But she was taken away from me,her only child,
as a result of a horrible and deadly crime....DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

Alot of people tend to think "It could never happen in my family"
I thought that too until December 28.1995. I was living
in Germany at the time, my ex-husband was in the Military.
I got a phone call at 3 am on the 29th
from my ex-husbands First Sergant with the news my mother was in
the hospital and had suffered masive head injuries.

Her 2nd husband (Richard), had beaten her head over and over on the hard floor.
The first thing he had to say when questioned by the
police was that she had attacked him! You have to understand,
My mother was all of 5 feet tall and weighed 90 pounds dripping wet.
Her husband on the other hand was about 6'2" and
weighed about 240 pounds.

When he was caught at the house, he was putting a
shovel,duct tape and her purse and coat in the
trunk of his car.... you figure it out.
When asked where her family could be contacted he told
them he did not know how to reach any of us and
that he did not even know my name or the name of my
grandmother or where we lived.He did tell them that
he THOUGHT my husband was in the military. It was
a full 8 hours after this happend that I was contacted.
And it was only by fluke that they found me
While going through my mothers purse, now in police hands.
The Detective's found my mother's address book and
they found an address for a military unit in Germany.

We flew back to the states as soon as we could get
a flight and all the paperwork together we needed to fly.
We got to Nashville, Tennessee on the 30th. Nothing could
have prepared me for what shape she was in when
I saw her. there was this tiny woman laying in the bed
with tubes and hoses and needles all in her arms and head.
She had suffered massive head and brain injuries and was in a
deep coma as well as on life support.
All of my family was there, my father all of my
fathers family, my step mother and my mothers mom.
We sat vigal the entire time hoping for a miracle.
but all our hopes and prayers were not enough. On the
early morning of Dec 31,1995, the doctors gave us
the news that there was nothing that
could be done.The injuries to her head and brain were
to bad and that she was brain dead.

I being her only child,was faced with the decision that
nobody should have to face, I had to choose to disconnect
the life support. I knew my Mother would not want to go
on being kept alive by tubes and computers.so I
made the hardest decision in my life.I know in my
head it was the right thing to do,but my mind
always continues to wonder....What if.

My mother passed away December 31,1995.
She was only 46 years old.

Her killer (her second husband) pled quilty to 2nd
degree murder and received 20 years in prison for the murder.
He will serve 80% of the time and then will be eligable for parole.




You may be wondering why I telling you all of this...
Well,I decided after my mothers death that I could help one
person break free of the abuse that my mother went
through then maybe it would make things easier.If you
or someone you know is going through this... PLEASE seek help,
from a friend,neighbor,family member or one of the countless
agencies that are out there to help you break free of
the abuse and regain the life you
were ment to have. One that is full of Love and
Happiness and free of fear.



Below are a few phone numbers that you can use if
you are in need of more information.


Domestic Violence 24 hour Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE(7233)

National Organization for Victims Assistance- 1-800-TRY-NOVA

National Victims Center- 1-800-FYI-CALL

National Child Abuse Hotline- 1-800-4-A-CHILD

National Elder Abuse Hotline- 1-800-992-1660




This rose sheds its tears for all those lost to
Domestic Violence,those who are still victim,and to
those who will become victim. When Domestic Violence ends...
this rose will sparkle again with beauty....
and its tears will be no more.

Please take a moment to sign my rememberance book.Thank You