Lucille Schaffer
Mark and Eric:
I am so sorry for your loss.
I only knew your mother for a short period of time when she asked if I would drive her to the hospital for treatment. I was on my bicycle and she approached me and said after the appointment she would buy lunch. I told her it wasn’t necessary to take me and she insisted that she looks forward to going out to eat. We only went twice but she raved about the coconut shrimp at Red Lobster and she was correct…it was delicious.
In the short time I spent with Toni she shared so many stories, the top story being her two sons. She explained one was a fisherman and the best at what he did. Before retiring he was a fireman and still volunteers and all the stories about his interesting life. The other son repaired school buses and we even made a pit stop to get his help in filling her low tire pressure. I think she just made excuses to stop by his workplace and show him off to me. I was able to meet both sons and she beamed in their presence.
Toni also shared stories about her job and the people she worked with for many years. She really enjoyed the job and the people. Many of the girls formed the Red Hat Society and would get together for meals and outings and a bond was created and remained.
She lived next door to her in-laws and told stories about how generous they were and spoiling their grandsons with a snowmobile and big ticket items like that. The boys shared many gifts without complaining.
Toni and her husband bought their first home, which was used, and the home needed to be moved from East Detroit to Ira. She talked about her home being towed up Gratiot Avenue and either her husband or father-in-law sat on the roof with a stick to push back the electrical wires as the house slowly moved up the streets. She said she had pictures but I never did see them. I did share the story with my husband and he wanted to hear more about our area back in the day.
She talked about her grandsons and how well behaved they were and how they visited and helped her around the house. I rode my bicycle when one of the grandsons was there and true to her word she was telling him what to do and he did whatever she wanted. Later I mentioned how nice looking he was and she was quick to say they were all very nice looking young men.
These are the memories I have of Toni. The treatments I drove her to were to help her with the upcoming surgery which I just discovered was performed with complications. Toni invited me in to see her kitchen the last time I took her for her treatment but I was in a rush and told her next time. How I now wish I would have spent a little more time with her. How I wish she could show me those pictures. How I wish she could share those stories with my husband about the area back in the day.
I am left with many wonderful memories of a beautiful woman who loved her family and life. She loved people and was easy to talk to and be with. After speaking to her son I learned that due to the coronavirus no one was able to visit her when she was hospitalized and he felt bad about that. I know her enough to know that her sons would have been by her side 24/7 because that’s how their relationship was. Both sons would drop everything to give her what she needed and I saw that first hand and told her, “Boy they sure love you, and do everything for you.” She smiled and said, “I know.”
Lucille Schaffer
Ira, Michigan