Louise, 92, currently resides in Perrysburg, Ohio. She is a gracious woman who has always put family first. Growing up with 5 other siblings instilled the importance of family in her from a young age. This pushed Louise to stay close with all of her brothers and sisters and their spouses, no matter the geographical distance between them. Now that Louise is in her 90’s, most of her relatives have passed on, leaving her and her sister Vera as the last remaining elders in their family. Louise’s Wish of a Lifetime was to reunite with her sister in Salisbury, NC to reminisce about old times and express her love in person.
For many years, it was easy for Vera and Louise to keep in touch. Seven years ago, these sisters were able to spend time together, which Louise described as them “giggling like school girls” and talking for hours. Unfortunately, two years later, Vera had some health complications, making communication increasingly difficult from different states. Many days, Louise calls Vera’s nursing home to speak with her, but she is unable to come to the phone. This deeply saddens Louise because she worries that with both of their health in decline, she will no longer be able to talk to her sister.
Throughout Louise’s life, she has exhibited personal sacrifice on many levels, whether it was working at the age of 13 to help with her family’s financial burdens, caring for a girl with mental disabilities for over 5 years, or caring for her own husband in his last years of his life. Because of this personal sacrifice, Wish of a Lifetime sent Louise and her daughter Penny, who were accompanied by Louise’s son Raymond and daughter-in-law Glenda, to Salisbury, NC on August 30, 2014 to reconnect with Vera. This trip strengthened a 90 year old bond and allowed the whole family to reunite.
