| Honored by: | Ellyn L Bartges |
| Brick location: | A:5 map |
Sandra was an intelligent, strong, caring woman who devoted her life to her family, teaching, and most of all, to her children. She dedicated herself to giving knowledge and love to all that were receptive or in need. With great personal sacrifice she made sure that her children were raised healthy, happy, and ethically.
Her love for teaching young children never diminished as it does for some teachers. In the last year of her life when she was unable to teach, she repeatedly stated how much she missed teaching. Sandra's greatest lessons were taught to her daughter and son the last year of her life. While fighting malignant melanoma, Sandra showed continually the courage, strength, unselfishness, and pragmatism that were her trade marks.
Sandra said that she had tried to live her life in the best possible ways that her Presbyterian upbringing had taught her. Sandra's motto in life as well as in facing death was FAITH*HOPE*LOVE. She believed that when armed with these three shields a person could endure, withstand, and conquer all the challenges of life. Sandra never questioned why she was to leave this life prematurely or bemoaned her fate by wallowing in a quagmire of self pity or regrets. She touched hundreds of peoples lives before her death in 1988, and she continues to be a role model for me, her daughter. Not a day goes by when she doesn't cross my mind. The lessons she taught me are many and diverse. To insure her legacy, I have tried to pass some of those lessons on to the young adults I coach. I hope that she would be proud. I love you, Mom, and I miss you very much. Thank you for giving me the things I needed to be successful in life.
Ellyn L. Bartges
Macomb, Illinois
1/24/95