The Breuers: Farewell to Aunt Mary

Last weekend was Labor Day Weekend. Lola and I traveled to Pittsburgh, while Joseph stayed home to take care of some things around the house. I had decided to visit a few weeks ago - I wasn't sure when I would get home next because of my pregnancy and then having a newborn. My parents will be selling their house in the spring (my childhood home which they've lived in for about 40 years), so I wanted to make sure I got one last visit in. Also, my Aunt Mary had been having health problems and was in a rehab facility, so I wanted to see her.

Unfortunately, we didn't get there in time to see Aunt Mary; she passed away on August 28. There was no single cause of her death. It seemed like her body just shut down. She was only 63 years old. She had been in ill health for the past couple of years. She had MS and was overweight, and she had had various health issues for years. But her death still came somewhat suddenly. She had gone to the hospital earlier in the summer, and then she was moved to a rehab facility, so we all thought she was on the mend and would bounce back like she always did. But the rehab facility sent her back to the hospital the week of August 24, and her health rapidly declined. Her kidneys starting failing, and her heart gave out at one point. Eventually the doctors determined there was nothing they could do. My mom, her other three sisters, and Mary's husband Bill were all there when she passed away.

The funeral was scheduled for the Saturday we were in town, so thankfully we were able to attend. My brother Ben flew in from Miami and my cousin Alex flew in from Houston, so all of the family was together. It was nice to be together, and I know that my mom was happy to see us.

Lola and I flew up Friday morning, and Ben met us at our gate, having arrived earlier in the morning. My parents picked us up, and we went to lunch at Eat 'N Park (a Pittsburgh tradition). Lola and I took short naps at home. Then we went to my friend Sarah's to visit. She, her husband Aaron, and their two daughters Evia and Lucy live in the South Side. Our friends Abby and Marty, and their son Oliver, came over as well. They recently moved back to Pittsburgh from Wisconsin and now live just a few blocks from my parents. It was great to see my high school friends - it had been a long time since our last visit. Evia is almost 4, and Lola had fun playing with her and checking out her toys. Aaron cooked us dinner on the grill, and we just hung out and caught up until we had to leave for Lola's bedtime.

Saturday was the funeral, which was in Ellwood City, where my mom and her four sisters grew up. There were visitation hours from 11-2 at the funeral home. Lola, Ben, and I took a break to grab lunch, and then Lola and I went to my cousin Charlie's house to try to get Lola to nap. He and his wife Kristen have a 1-year-old, Tyler, and Kristen was staying home with him until the service. Unfortunately Lola would not nap - she just kept saying she wanted to play with Tyler. So I gave up on the nap and let them play. Lola got a bit aggressive with him, but I think they had fun.

We went back to the funeral home for the service. It was of course very sad, but it was nice to hear everyone's memories of Mary. Kristen watched Lola for a bit so I could listen to the service, but I had to leave toward the end to hang out with Lola in the playroom. After the service, everyone went to my Aunt Maggie's house for dinner. There was a ton of food and a lot of people. It was nice to spend some time with family.

Sunday we had a leisurely morning, and Ben cooked us a fabulous brunch. After nap, we went up to Sewickley Ridge, the retirement community where my parents are moving. We looked at the model homes to get an idea of what their house will be like, and we also drove by their lot. Their house won't be built until the spring. It looks like a very nice community, with a clubhouse, pool, and tennis courts. It's just completely different from my parents' current home - a 100-year-old brick house in an urban neighborhood with grid streets - so I will have a hard time getting used to it. But I know it will be great for them, to have a new home with little maintenance and everything on one floor. We wrapped up the day with dinner at Benihana, which Lola really enjoyed.

Ben left very early Monday morning, and the rest of us just hung out at home until it was time to go to the airport. I went through a few bins of my old high school stuff, throwing most of it away. I really saved a lot of junk! But it brought back some nice memories. Lola and I flew home in the afternoon, and Joseph picked us up at the airport. We missed him!