Grandma and Grandpa Mulvaney had 11 children: Kathleen, Jim, Mac, Ruth, Dee, Peggy, Tommy, Bitsy, Johnny, Gert (who is my mom) and Noreen. After tonight, only Uncle Jim and Mom are still here.
I am sad that Ruth never got to meet Jack. She, like all the Mulvaneys, loved kids, especially babies. She had a passel of her own kids just like Grandma and my mom. Something in that Mulvaney gene pool drove them to try to make up for all the Irish souls lost during the Famine.
To know Ruth, you simply had to know her husband, her children, or her friends. She was surrounded by people of good will. She married possibly one of the sweetest men I have ever known. She raised a family full of the funniest and kind-hearted children (now adults) that you will ever meet. She was a strong and proud woman who knew her own mind and wasn't afraid to express it.
Although I am saddened by her death, there is still enough of the believer in me to think that tonight she is reunited with her mother and father, her brothers and sisters, her husband, and some of her children. Given that mix, I would not be surprised if they all started playing cards and dominos 10 minutes after she passes through the Gates. I hope she takes everyone's money.
Ruth, rest in peace. You were a good woman and you will be missed. Watch over my son, Jack, and put a good word in for us with Grandma and Grandpa Mulvaney.
Love, Mark
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