Tribute to My Mom

It's been 16 years ago today that my mother Dorothy Mary Repia McKenzie Buss passed away. She valiantly fought breast cancer and bone cancer for 22 years. She was in an out of remission during that time. She was an example and an inspiration to many around her. We all love her and miss her day to day influence, laughter, and love. We look forward to seeing her again someday.

I've included a few pictures of her so you can get a feel for her exuberance for life. She loved everyone and anyone. I remember the many times we would have strangers for dinner. She'd often bring someone over that she either met at the laundry mat when our washer and dryer was broken or just someone she met at the store that needed her help. My dad had a garden and before he could even pick a ripe tomato it was gone!! The peaches and raspberries were also given away before they could be canned and when they were canned she'd give jars away to neighbors and those in need.

Here's a picture of when she graduated from nursing school at the top of her class. She had lots of friends at the hospital and they all knew her and loved her and when she got sick they cried with her and took care of her when she was in the hospital. She had a smile on her face more often than not and she kept things to herself with the desire not to burden or worry anyone.

This is a picture taken the summer before I turned 20 years old. My daughter Ariel is turning 19 in a couple of months and I can hardly believe that all of that time has passed. It really does just seem like yesterday. I sure miss my mom and would love to have a visit with her. I know she would just love to play with all of her grandchildren and now great grandchildren. I try to be the best grandma I can be to the two grandchildren I have now. It's so much fun!!!

This is a picture taken when my parents were married in December of 1957. They were married in the Salt Lake City Temple. My mom had traveled from New Zealand to marry my father and hadn't been in America for very long. I'm sure she missed having her parents and sibling there with her. I know I would have missed having my mom there when I got married. I was the first one to be married in our family.

These pictures were taken on the same day of my brother-in-laws mother's funeral. She was buried in the same cemetery as my mom so after the graveside dedication some of us walked over to my mom's grave. It was wonderful to take that moment to reflect on her life and what she means to me. The girl's also shared some of the flowers from LaJoy's casket flowers. It was nice.

These are three of my sister's girls and my daughter kenna in the black, red, & white dress. My Dad is kneeling behind the girls.

My Dad and I.

Kenna was so worried about everyone's headstone being so messy, soooo, she went around cleaning off all of the headstone's and pausing to read them.

Here's a closer look at her cleaning the grave's.