Thanks to all of Mom’s former co-workers from Teletype/ATT/Lucent for the condolences expressed to me and our family on the recent passing of my Mom, Grace Stratton. The funeral home does not share email addresses so I had no way of thanking those of you who signed the online guestbook — until now, thanks to learning about this website from Mom’s baby sister, Pat (Lacy) Hafner. Thanks too to Deb Cooper and Frances Fletcher for paying respects at the visitation.

It has been great to read and catch up on what everyone is doing! I feel like I know so many of you, at least in name. (And as I saw from one or two comments, you guys knew me too, at least in name! Don’t believe everything my mother said about me — except all of the good stuff, of course!) The years my Mom spent at the plant were among her happiest work years thanks to so many terrific co-workers. I wish (and she did too) that she could have toughed it out with you guys, but after having been caught in 3 or 4 layoffs, when she was called back the last time she said she just couldn’t keep going through the uncertainty of having a job/not having a job. I could hardly blame her. Mom’s final employer was Systematics (later name change to Alltel Information Systems, and most recently sold and is now Fidelity Information Systems) where she was a Software Licensing Agent. She worked until 2000 when her doctor insisted that she quit, and she went out on disability. I had been living and working in Las Vegas, NV (1997-2003) and came home to serve as Mom’s fulltime caregiver when her health began to really go down from there.

Arti, Mom pretty much lived off of the Apricot-Cream Cheese Salad, a recipe she obtained from you years ago, during her final days. It was always a favorite recipe of ours! Another favorite was/is Bill Donaldson’s Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts.

Speaking of Bill, but could someone confirm for me that he also passed away a few years ago? He or his family was from the Grant County, Arkansas area and I did see an obituary a couple of years ago or more that I was pretty sure was him. If so, I can obtain the dates and post them to your In Memorium Page, since if that is the same Bill, he is buried near my Stratton grandparents.

After Mom left the plant, she also was in contact via letters to Lucille Clifton, wife of John Clifton (Skokie – LR). Lucille passed away a couple of years ago, and we received a Christmas card this year from John. He is still at Arlington Heights, IL where he and Lucille had a retirement apartment in a retirement community. John has had a lot of heart problems over the past years, but as he said in the card, he is “hanging in there.”

Sadly, we also lost in our family Mom’s next to the youngest sister, Deborah Lacy, on February 27, 2007. Deborah worked roughly 20 years (?) out on the line at the plant. Deborah eventually left you guys, returned to college and obtained her Master’s degree in Education, and taught school.

Again, thanks everyone for the condolences you’ve expressed and the concern shown our family. Mom loved and missed you guys!