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There are so many memories of Mary flooding my mind right now I could write a book. One stands out that elucidates the core kindness of Mary. We were traveling to visit her family for Christmas at Jean and John's house in Greenville, SC. About half way there she gets a call from a patient who told her that they were out of food and had nothing to eat and since they no longer drove or had the financial resources needed, there was no way to get any. Mary told then we were half way to Greenville but she would figure something out. She started working the phone, found a fellow nurse and between them found a way to get these folks some food so they would have a Christmas dinner. Spending time with Mary, I have learned that Nurse's don't have a lot of spare cash themselves but what they do have is a lot of love for their fellow man and that is what I loved the most about Mary. It was her many acts of kindness, her willingness to go the extra mile even if she went without herself sometimes. My dear friend Mary was one in a million in a world where we desperately need to have more. Mary, I miss you, we all miss you - we miss your kindness, your sense of humor, your compassion and your unconditional love. Rest in peace Mary, may you rest in peace. Your friend Craig.
Jean Pendergrass
Jean Pendergrass
My name is Debbie Spruill. Mary was my nurse and friend for almost 5 years. Mary and my great aunt Alma, who passed when I was very young, were the two most loving, selfless people I have ever known. I have previously mentioned examples of Mary's overriding kindness, but there are so many more. Seems like she was always thinking of ways to make her patients' lives better. One summer, it involved her patient who lived near me, who she used to visit right before visiting me. It also involved me. I live in a rural wooded area, and have a fairly large yard around my house. Due to health issues, I am not able to work in my yard, and that summer I couldn't afford to pay for yard work. It wasn't my biggest concern at the time, but Mary was concerned about my yard being so overgrown, and offered to get her lawn person to cut my grass. I declined her offer, and told her I might take her up on it at the end of the summer, if my grass still needed cutting. Soon after that, one day Mary went to her other patient's home, and learned her satellite had been turned off because she and her husband couldn't afford it. Since they also lived in a rural area, no satellite meant no TV. They also had no radio reception This patient was in very poor health, and rarely left the house. She was afraid of being alone, which limited her husband's ability to work. Mary was really disturbed by the thought of them being at home all day with no TV or radio. So Mary devised a plan. When she came to my house that afternoon, she told me that the next week, she was going to pay that patient's husband to cut my grass. She would do the other patient's infusion and sit with her while her husband was at my house. I wanted to pay to have my grass cut, but Mary wouldn't hear of it. She wouldn't even tell me how much she was paying for my grass to be cut. I told her I wasn't comfortable with that arrangement, and wanted to at least pay for some of it, but she refused. That is when she told me why she was doing it. She said she had tried to get the couple to let her pay for their satellite service, but they refused. I still protested her paying for my grass to be cut, and she still insisted. Every three or four weeks for the rest of the summer, she paid her patient's husband to cut my grass while she stayed with her patient. She never would tell me how much she was paying. She said she was doing it so they would have satellite, but I still think I was the ultimate beneficiary of Mary's kindness.
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