ALA members gush about Mom  
 

Moms give us unconditional love, make sacrifices for us, teach us right from wrong — this list could go on and on! This Mother’s Day, we honor the special moms in our lives.
 
American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters recently asked our Facebook followers to tell us about their moms. Here is what some ALA members had to say:
 
“My mom is Constance Anderson, and we are ALA members of 283 in Florida. She has taught me what it means to be a real woman and mother. She is my best friend, my rock, my everything. It would take a book to express how extraordinary, majestic, and overall how great she is, but I will say this — she is my everything. I love you, Mom. Thank you for loving me when I didn't love myself, for helping me find my worth when the world said I was worthless, for teaching me how to tap into my inner strength when I didn’t feel I could go on. You are my precious, and I treasure you and celebrate you every day the sun rises and when the moon shines.” 
 — Andrea M. Cummings
 
“I always wanted to grow up and be just like her. She was a strong, nurturing, and beautiful woman. For her, family always came first. She made a lot of sacrifices for us. My friends called her Mom as well. She was the best cook ever. Our favorite day of the week was Sunday. She would cook all of our favorite, special meals. She pampered us and Dad. She taught me to be strong and independent. She also taught me to respect my elders, and most of all, my husband. I have a very happy life with a loving husband and three beautiful kids because of everything my mom taught me to be. I know she was an amazing wife to my dad. They had some great times together, especially on their long drives exploring the city. She will always be in my heart.”
 
— Neha Dillard

 

“My mom was a 40-year Auxiliary member of Unit 100 in Lake Station, Ind. She quit school at 16 to get married while my dad served in World War II. She was a great cook and raised six children. She passed away 30 years ago. I miss her every day.”
 
— Barbara Lambert

 


“My mom was special in so many ways. She always put her family first and was so kind and considerate to everyone. She was a fabulous cook, and in her later years she cooked at a daycare center. She made them homemade bread and they all called her Grandma Julie.” 
 
— Michealene Smith

 

“My mom was a member of the Mayville American Legion Auxiliary chorus when I was young. The group competed at many National Conventions and were national champions more than once. I definitely got my love for music and inherited my voice that I used singing in choirs and performing solos for weddings and funerals from her. I know she is singing with the angels in Heaven. Love and miss you, Mom.” 
 
— Mary Harper
 
“My mother, Joan, was a WWII bride form Tottenham, England. My father, Joseph, was in the U.S. Army Air Corps. My mother taught me about poppies and what they represented. After Memorial Day, she would change out purses (white after Memorial Day), and she had many poppies on the strap of her purse — old and new from past Poppy Days of the American Legion Auxiliary in our hometown.”
 
— Jane McKnight

 




“My mom was my biggest fan and closest friend. She always wanted the best for me and encouraged me to do my best. If I fell, she was always there to pick me up. She was a dedicated ALA member with a PUFL membership. She served many years as president of Jacksonville Unit 197, Department of Florida, and inspired me as an ALA Junior member to follow in her footsteps. Because of her dedication to the American Legion Auxiliary, I did just as she wanted and became a senior member. I too served as a unit, district, and area president in the Department of Florida. I believe her greatest joy was when I had the opportunity to sing in the installation services of a department president and she accompanied me on the piano. People would always say we had a very close bond between us as mother-daughter.”
 
— Carolyn Brown

 



“My mom was truly an amazing soul. She was part of our Auxiliary unit from the day she got engaged to my dad until her death. She was a crafter, a baker, a skilled quilter, a good ear, and a friendly smile. I will certainly never forget the many years my mom and I stood at the bank drive-thru in Hales Corners, Wisc., distributing poppies. All dressed up. In heat and rain and humidity. Thinking back on it now, nine years post her death, that time was annoyingly daunting. But now what I wouldn’t give to have those times with her back.”
 
— Carol Lofland
 
“My mom taught me to treat people the way you want to be treated. And don’t look down on the less fortunate because, for the grace of God, it could be you.”
 
— Sherri Doody McGee
 
“My mother, Glenda H. Vilseck, got me started in the American Legion Auxiliary 20 years ago at the Elvis Presley Unit 249 in Memphis, Tenn. Little did I know, volunteering two to three times a month would turn into volunteering for our veterans, unit, post, community, etc., at least five to six hours most every day. Over the years, members of The American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary have become my family. At 76, Mom still runs circles around me! We love what we can do for our God and country.”
 
— Shawn D. White

 

“My mother, Ruth M. Anthony, was a strong woman. She lost her mother at age 5 and a few years later, her father. She and her brothers were placed in an orphanage for adoption. She was adopted two years later by the woman who became my grandmother. In 1943, she joined the Army (WACS) despite her older brother’s objections. He never spoke to her again. Her love for country was greater than the disapproval of her brother. She taught me to believe in my convictions and to be self-reliant. She joined The American Legion so that I could join the Auxiliary, which she also joined. Until she passed away in 2014, she was involved in working the ALA mission in our community.”
 
— Georgeann Herling

 
“Doris Fournier is the ‘mom’ to many members of the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Vermont! She is a Past Department President and always helpful, kind, supportive, and loving to all!”
 
— Debra Tiernan



By Jennifer Donovan, Staff Writer