Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Today, we celebrate the life of Margaret Vaughn. She was my mother and best friend. She lived 89 years. She was a mother of 11 children and 18 grandchildren, 33 great grandchildren and 5 great-great children. Truly that is a lasting legacy.
After the death of my stepfather, Ray, my mother came to live in Indianapolis. The first year was very rough because she was in and out of the hospital 7 times. I was so afraid I was going to lose her. Being the fighter that she was. She survived and lived a healthy and productive 14 years. Truly blessed were we to have this with her.
The best way to describe my mother, Margaret would be to say she was full of spunk and sass or in theological terms “God’s Spirit”. She would always say “I live with a bunch old folks”. She never saw herself as an old person. She never complained about any pain she had and if asked she would change the subject with saying “with my hands”. To be truthful, we thought she would probably outlive many of us. I guess we didn’t factor in her age either. So we are shocked and devastated upon her passing.
Her most favorite thing to do was Cooking. She was absolute amazing cook. Many of us sitting her were witnesses to that fact. Every meal she cooked for family, friend or strangers was like an everyday Thanksgiving feast. There would be at least 2 meats, 4-5 starches, many vegetables and of course 2-3 desserts made from scratch. She learned this from her mother who cooked the same way. She helped put on many Celebration lunches on at Cedar Commons. Residents were able to enjoy being family. Some of them had no family or little family visiting them. Also, she loved taking care of people. She was a nurse until age of 76. Her love of people and cooking help keep at least 6 residents at Cedar Commons in their apartments and out of nursing homes for many years.
She was center to all that was involved around family, whether it was Saturday morning Mass and Rosary, Holidays, Births, Weddings, Graduations, Funerals or just Sporting events for the grandchildren… She and her sprite self was there. It brought her joy.
Her and her indomitable loving Spirit will be missed by all of us. Mama, have a wonderful time in Heaven.
