Ruth Anne (Boardman) Paul
1755 Kinglsey RdApt. 313
Eugene, Oregon 97401
Hello fellow classmates. It’s been a long time since I’ve sent in my biography. I believe the last one was in 1996. Fibromyalgia has caused me to suffer severe pain for the last 21 years but I am fortunate from the standpoint that I am richly blest with good friends who have made me a member of their families. Sometimes they take turns driving me to some of the six to eight medical appointments I have to go to every week. I’ve included a picture of my Oregon “family” where I spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, graduations, etc.
Once a month for many years, I have been a Hospice volunteer in Eugene. This is very rewarding and helps me feel like I am still able to contribute something to help others. Years ago when I lived in the Orlando, Florida area for 17 years I worked for Hospice both as a RN and a counselor (along with working in many other areas of nursing). For some years I was on our county disability advisory council and advocacy committee until complications from cancer treatments prevented me from attending so many monthly meetings. For a few years, when I was able, I also was a volunteer with "NO One Dies Alone"....a program started here in our local hospital and has gone nationwide. Volunteers are called any time of day or night when someone is actively dying in the hospital or nursing home and has no friends or family to be with them during this time. Volunteers sit in shifts 24 hours a day so they are never alone....this can be for just hours or days.
I am in water therapy three times a week to counteract the stiffness that sets in if I sit or stand any length of time. I need to rest a lot so any time spent away from home has to be planned. I regret that this will keep me from celebrating our 50th class reunion with you. I go to the library to use their computer, that’s where I found that Judy D was looking for me. We have been exchanging emails since that time. Until then my connection to home has been with a dear friend in Maynard
and my cousin in NH (who also grew up in Maynard). When she calls me we spend hours on the phone catching up. I get regular e-mails from my cousins in Turku Finland and enjoyed a visit from two of them this April.
My heart was broken in pieces when I lost my son Michael 7 years ago. He died in an automobile accident when he and his wife were returning home over the Rockies to Colorado from Montana and she over corrected on an icy patch of road. She was badly injured but is well now and we keep in touch. He blessed me with two beautiful grandchildren, both girls. Amanda turned 25 this year and Nyssa turned 21, she had a baby girl January 26th of this year....so yes, I am now a great grandmother.
I’ve joined a group called “Compassionate Friends”, we’ve all lost children. We comfort each other and encourage each other to keep our eyes open for 'signs' from our children. We've been told at conference workshops that signs are all around us but we often miss them because we don't know how to look for them, or in the various ways they come to us.
As the years go by since Michael passed away I feel his presence especially strong when I hear trumpet music, he played the trumpet. Michael loved the three B's composers. He’d play Beethoven on Beethoven’s birthday, every Dec. 16th, all the while baking his favorite Christmas cookie recipes. His great grandfather was a baker and many on our Finnish side were chefs or bakers so it was in his genes. However, Michael's daily work was with computers. I take comfort in my memories of Michael.
I wish you all well and I hope you have a wonderful reunion and I welcome any emails from classmates.
R>uth's "other" family: Hugh, Alexandra, Torrie, and Martie Blodget
Michael and Michael with his daughter Nyssa
Ruth Anne's granddaughter Nyssa's wedding Feb. 20, 2009 Corvallis, OR
Ruth Anne's great granddaugter Ava who was born Jan. 26, 2011
Ruth Anne's granddaughter Amanda Paul Senior Year 2003-2004