Jessie Maud Shannon Dooley

Today is the birthday of my Mom, Jessie Maud Shannon Dooley. She passed away in April of 1971, almost right on schedule with the plans my Mom and Dad had made. The had planned on their retirement for many years, purchased "old home" land here in Newark, Ohio, later, they had a contractor put a pond in, that worked, they had a home built, and moved in in 1961. They had hoped to have ten years together on Spicewood Lake, and they did.

December 18 was always a BIG day in our family, the day we put up the tree, on Mom's birthday. On Brown Street, it meant a trip to that gigantic attic and bring all the tree trimmings down to the living room. It took many trips.

The day started with Dad taking the family in the Packard Clipper, the one I remember, out to the Fairgrounds and under the bleacher section they sold trees. We had high ceilings on Brown Street, but the tree we picked always had to be "shortened."

First, the lights, then the balls and other hanging ornaments, then the tinsel and other garlands, then the icicles .... NO CLUMPS .... one at a time, NO THROWING. Last, Mom did her "Fairyland" ... Dad had made a small 4" white picket fence to go around the tree. It had a front gate, and a larger one going to the barnyard. Different "figures" were placed at each post, Cotton for the snow, mirrors for ponds, a village, roads ..... I spent many hours "visiting" that village.

Jessie loved her family and friends. Guests soon became friends. A Doctor friend from Columbus drove to Newark on one occasion to visit them. He had Fred Taylor, legendary Ohio State basketball coach with him. Fred ended up eating three pieces of her apple pie as they all sat and talked. That's the way that Mom was.

She was born in 1897. She was a great Mother, Wife, not just a Wife, a Doctors Wife, there is a difference, took a lot of tolerance ... his Medical Practice came first, I know she realized that.

I remember once, old Doc Werner, recommended a shot of whiskey each day to east high blood pressure. She NEVER drank, we had too disguise it with juice, etc, she only did it one day. She was a PK, a Preachers Kid, her Dad, a Bishop in the old UB Church. She lived her life accordingly. Church was a regular part of our lives.

I heard her use the word .... "bastard" ..... one time .... and it related to story she told of how many of them seemed to be on the highway when Dad drove.

I regret that I did not get to spend more time with her, quality time, time just talking, we really never just .... sat and talked.

Many fond memories, today, of Jessie Dooley ....

Another year, Jessie Maud Shannon Dooley

The years fly by, seems like I just did my annual Mother's Day tribute to my Mom. I learn something new every year, or at least refresh my memory. Mom left us in 1971, many years ago, and, she was 71, born in 1898. Wow, 1898. William McKinley was President. The Civil War had just been over thirty some years, in 1865.

Older folks may understand, when it comes to mind, and I really analyze it, to me, my Mom, Jessie  Maud, seemed rather old, but she was only 71 when she passed, I am 80, that is hard for me to rationalize. I guess there is a difference between other people and a Mom. Mom's are just taken for granted.

My favorite memories of Mom, one always comes to mind, the pancake morning. We were vacationing in Michigan, and a few of my brother's friends were with us. One morning, Mom was making pancake batter. Apparently one of those days, too think, add milk, too thin, add more pancake mix, etc., etc., etc. We had a big, really big, bowl full of batter. Dad, as he was prone to do, saw it and made a big issue out of it. He had an audience ... "Jess, way too many pancakes" ... etc., etc. Mom told brother Bud and friends, "Eat them ......" I'm sure she added some other comments. She fixed them, they ate them, all of them. I forget how many I ate. It took years for me to look at another pancake. Not sure if my brother ever ate any again.

Sunday mornings, after church at the old First EUB in downtown Dayton, Dad was often making rounds at Miami Valley Hospital, or delivering a baby or something, so Mom and I walked to church alone. Afterwards we would go to a lunch counter, not sure which one, Woolworth's comes to mind, but not sure about, in those days, being open on Sunday. Chocolate milkshake and cinnamon raisin toast. Funny the things we remember. On vacation, heading to Northern Michigan, we would stop at a small store in Northern Ohio, trial bologna ring, crackers, "rat" cheese, Cokes, milk and fig newtons. Still my favorite.

Mom bailed me out on more than one occasion. Dad would take the car keys, Mom would get them back for me. 

I think I took my Mom for granted. I wish I had appreciated her more, she was just Mom. Her birthday, December 18, a week before Christmas, the day we always put our Christmas tree up. She passed on a Good Friday. I remember speeding out to the house on Montgomery Road after Dad called and gave me the news that she had passed. I remember thinking that it was not possible, I thought Mom's lived forever.

Happy Mother's Day, Jessie Maud Shannon Dooley.

The Jessiedean, well,  you can see where the name came from ... Dad built the boat in the early 30's, triple planked, she may still be afloat somewhere. Some of my most vivid memories of my childhood revolve around that boat. The fragrance under that deck is still with me, oilcloth, oil, gasoline, my first ride was with my Mom and Dad, on Burt Lake, in Northern Michigan.

Happy Birthday, Mom

Today is the birthday of Jessie Maud Shannon Dooley, my Mom. One of the easier ones to remember, the week before Christmas. When I was home, we always trimmed our Christmas Tree on her birthday, so it has always been a big day in my life.

She got a little cheated though, all the activity of getting the tree, trimming it, didn't leave much time to celebrate her "day."

As I write this, I am looking at a little rocking chair, which was hers, and is well over one hundred years old, it was one of her "treasures." She often told how, as a child, on Christmas morning, her gifts would be by her chair, perhaps a plate of "goodies" on the chair, she cherished that little chair.

Mom was a PK, a Preacher's Kid. Her Father being a minister in the old United Brethren Church, and he later became a Bishop in the Church. She could relate many stories about incidents that arose from being a PK.

She loved a good time. She was never happier than when she had her family together, sitting at the dinner table and enjoying one of her meals. She loved to cook for them. She loved good times.

She was a perfect Doctors wife, she took the disappointments and cancellations in stride, his medical practice came first. In the early years when we had our home and office together, she often had to do what today is called, "Triage." It was not uncommon to have many patients in our living room, overflow from the office, and Mom would have to decide what was serious and needed immediate attention.

Fred Taylor, the Ohio State basketball coach legend, was brought to their home once by a mutual friend, they just stopped by to say hello. Mom and just baked an apple pie. Before they left, Coach Taylor had two pieces of pie, a number of cups of coffee, and spent a few hours talking with Mom and Dad in that homey dining room on Montgomery Road. Coach even tried his had at a little fishing in their pond. He said he had never enjoyed an afternoon quite so much. That's just the way Mom and Dad were, gracious and giving.

Mom left us many years ago, I have forgotten may dates since then, but her birthday will never be forgotten, one week before Christmas. Happy Birthday.

Jessie Maud Shannon Dooley

My Mom, and my thoughts go out to  her as we get closer to Mother's Day. She left this earth too soon.
She loved family, and "good times" with her family.

She was a "PK," a Preachers Kid. James Shannon, her Father, was a United Brethren Minister, now Methodist, and her early life revolved around the church. He ultimately became a Bishop in the church.

A lot of her stories revolved around the church, and incidents that happened there. She had a sister, Eva Shannon, and they had so many stories to tell of their growing up, many of which revolved around the church.

They always told the story of an elderly man in the church who had not been feeling well for quite some time, and finally felt good enough one Sunday morning to give it a try. He and his wife agreed that if he got to feeling bad, he would get up, go outside, and wait for his wife outside.

During the service, he leaned forward in the pew, and told his wife, "Mother, I think I'm going."

She reluctantly told him, "Oh, alright," a little disgruntled that he was leaving, but as they agreed, she thought he was leaning forward to retrieve his hat from under the pew.

He died, right there in the church.

I never heard her use a "cuss" word, they were not in her vocabulary. She was a patient, faithful and dutiful Doctors wife. The hospital and his patients came first, she understood that.

When Dad first retired, he agreed to go to work for Blue Shield, travel the state, and implore Doctors to not take advantage of health insurance. They gave him a car and an assistant  for his travels

On one occasion, Mom was going to accompany them on a short trip, and they took my Dad's car, Werner, his assistant drove.

After a while, my Mom commented, "Dean, there aren't nearly as many bastards on the road when Werner drives." A rare occurrence for Jessie to use a word like that, my Dad, the Doctor, had a bit of a temper.

If a child used an "off color" word or phrase, her comment generally was, "He/she didn't suck that out of his/her thumb."

Mom died suddenly, I wish I had more time with her, some of those great summer evenings, sitting on the front screened-in porch, looking out over the lawn, the smell of fresh mowed grass in the air, and the pond, some occasional fireflies lighting up the night, just sitting and talking. I was always too busy doing something else to spend much time with her.

"Backward, turn backward ........................"

Happy Mothers Day.