My  Aunt Irene, Donna Jean’s mom, was full of life, fun, and appeared to be “Happy-Go Lucky” despite some pretty challenging family dynamics. She was always a fun loving and thoughtful person to be with. I know that Donna  inherited many of those wonderful character traits and also the courage and tenacity face and overcome  seemingly unsurmountable obstacles.

All of us cousins grew up clustered around our Grandma and Grandpa’s home. My first memory of Donna was at a wedding, which I have only seen  pictures of. Donna  was the beautiful flower girl for our uncle Dennis and aunt Carmela’s wedding. I know she must’ve stolen the show  as she did throughout all her growing up,  from tap dancing to overnight sleep-overs to her loving care of young children. 

I’ll never forget when I was far away from home and in college living  out in the isolated countryside near LA, Donna and Bill popped in for a delightful surprise visit —just wonderfully typical of them both. 

Donna’s beautiful  children and family are a true reflection of her happy, contagious spirit and I’m sure she’s proud of each and every one of you . 

We send our condolences to the Huth family. We are thinking of you and your family and sending prayers. My family met Donna a few times through the years usually at our children’s sporting events because her grandchildren were playing there too. We would talk for awhile and you could feel her warmth and always left with us a smile. She will be in your hearts and minds forever.

All our love and support,

Eve, Charles, Lee, and Celeste Truong

The picture you shared of Donna Jean is exactly as I remember her. A wonderful wife and loving mother, a great friend, always giving to someone. 

With loving condolences, Judy Mulenburg

This is a special story about my mother and I.

     We lived in a neighborhood where everyone knew each other, pretty much. I used to love going across the street to Helen Holober’s house. She was an old lady who always had a bowl of candy on her table and all the neighborhood kids would come over and get candy. I was always sensitive, and somehow I knew Helen was lonely. I stayed behind and would talk with her and over the years she became my friend. 

   One day I was on my way to go see Helen to visit with her, and I saw a cat In her yard with a baby bluebird in her mouth. I remember smacking the cat on the head and telling it,”No! Let go!” And I was able to rescue the baby bird. I ran back to my house and said,” look Mommy! I got a baby bird!” My Mom stopped the dishes, and came over to help me. She went into the garage to get a cage, as we had Guinea pigs, hampsters and etc before, so she was able to get something to hold the bluebird and keep it safe. She then told me to put it by the window in the front room. She told me that the baby was looking for it’s mother, and the mother was looking for her baby. She told me that pretty soon they would call out to each other. I was very excited and waited patiently because I wanted to see this reunion. 

As the afternoon went on, eventually there was an adult Robin who was flying around our maple tree out in the front yard calling out, and it looked distressed. Then after a few minutes, I remember watching the baby bird call back to it’s mother and they were both excited as they connected. My Mom told me it was time, so she removed the screen from the front window, opened the cage gently and I watched the baby bird fly off to it’s mother, and the warmth I felt in my soul by watching the family reunite gave me a sense of a deeper purpose and a connection to the divine. I felt like a hero! I saved a baby from eminent death, and I got a baby back home safe with its mother. I felt incredible! I had a love for birds from that point on, and I remember going around the neighborhood looking to see if I could rescue another bird, but I never found another one. That transcended a deep desire in me to fix problems and to help people and families  in my life. Feeling like I made a difference in the life of another accomplished a resolution in my soul that gave me       joy. 

I will always cherish this special memory that my mother and I shared together; just her and I. 

Rest in peace Mom. I know you are soaring high in Heaven with all the angels, and all the birds I have loved and buried. I will always love you and I look forward to the day when you will greet me on the other side with open arms just like that mother Robin did 44 years ago. 

  Love your daughter, Michelle 

Please join me in celebrating all things Donna and listen to her episode on my podcast Confessions Of An Actress. This is a very special episode with my Mom, Donna Patterson. She is my supporter, my rock, I love her. Born in California’s Bay Area, she is the daughter of a Chief Petty Navy Officer and her mother Irene who worked as a phone operator. Married 53 years to the love of her life, Donna successfully ran her own business for 35 years while raising 4 kids. She guided Meredith to be the Broadway, TV and Film actress she is with careful discipline and love. Learn how Donna guided Meredith and danced in Go Go boots herself when she was young. And Donna just celebrated her 75th birthday! Celebrate her as much as Merie does and share this episode, like, subscribe.

https://anchor.fm/confessions…

In April 2022, my Mother was once again rushed to the hospital. This had happened numerous times before, but every time was stressful and scary.

She was having trouble breathing, fluid had filled up in her lungs again, and the family was watching her tirelessly managing her painful symptoms of the final stages of congestive heart failure.

That day I spoke to her on the phone. She told me (as she usually did) that she was a "tough ol' broad" and she wasn't going anywhere. My Dad assured me she was getting the care she needed, and was stable. She was a fighter, always had been. I believed her of course, told her I would call her the next day and hung up the phone.

Then I began to sob.

My wonderful husband Dustin came over to comfort me as he had many times before. My mother had been in and out of the ER quite a bit in the past 5 years, and we had many scares with her heart and lung function. We knew there wasn't much the doctors could do but manage her symptoms, but we just hoped for a miracle, and for her to get stronger, as she so desperately wanted to live her life to the fullest.

Her body just wasn't matching her spirit anymore, she was so fiery and her body was weak and tired.

It was all so painful to experience for the whole family, and especially for my mother. She loved life so very much.

To anticipate something happening to her every time she was rushed to the hospital, was a mix of adrenal fatigue and life reflection.

I asked myself "How would I feel if she (or my wonderful Dad) actually passed away right now?" a thought we don't want to truly feel. But, I sat with my thoughts, felt the pain and I wrote them both a love note.

I am so very thankful that I did. My Mom and Dad read it and cried, happily and shared with me how much they loved me. They both knew how much I loved them, and what they mean to me in the best expression I could muster.

I found that letter......I am sharing it with you all now.

****************************************************************

April 2022

Dearest Mom & Dad,

There have been so many brief & fearful moments I have experienced lately with Mom being rushed to the hospital. I have imagined what it would be like if you both were gone from this world. And, even in a flash of imagining that day, it hurts my heart. Every time I fear Mom (or you Dad) are going to leave this world……it has brought me to my knees.

A sudden flash of everything I love about you both comes into my mind. Simple, almost silly moments of my childhood; Mom standing in the kitchen, beautiful in jeans and t-shirt, opening the fridge to make us all food. Dad in the driveway fixing something with the car, or yelling across the house. I suddenly hear the sound of both of your voices when I was a child. I hear Mom say “Bill!?” and Dad said “Donna”. Simple, but potent.

I feel you Mom, lifting me up to sit me on your hip, or rolling my hair into sponge rollers for a dance recital, applying blue eyeshadow, or Dad at the dining room table sewing our hula costumes. You both sitting on the couch watching Johnny Carson, snuggling up with the dogs or Dad falling asleep on the recliner.

I hear both of your incredible infectious laughter and the way you would throw your heads back when something was really funny. I see you sweetly kissing in the kitchen, dancing together in the living room. I see me swing dancing with Dad to jazz on a Sunday night with the carpet beneath my feet. I see us all piling into the 14 seater daycare van to take me to dance class, to the theatre for a show or just to drive to the store. I see me, the little munchkin, tagging along beside you as you run errands...so I can just be close to you both.

I see the very simple moments of you both as my parents. That is what comes to mind when I’m afraid I have lost you. I think of all the time I had with you as a child, and all the time I didn’t have with you as an adult. How lucky I always was to have you home with me when I needed you as a child, and how lucky I am to have had you support me when I wanted to leave home so young to be in New York.

When my boys snuggle with me on the couch, I see you both. I see you both when I hear them tell me they love me and when they look at me and reach for me to hug them. I see you, my amazing Mom and Dad. I see the other side of what parenting must’ve felt like for you, and I realize in those moments, I am so very lucky.

The love I feel for you I can now give to my boys. The love of being a partner and wife to the love of my life. That incredible love in me wouldn’t be possible if it didn’t start with you both.

When people lose their parents, a lot of times they say “I wish I could’ve just told them (this) or I wish I had told them (this)” And I’m so lucky because I truly feel like I have told you everything I can. I always tell you, but I hope this letter deepens that love.

I know when you are both gone what I will want is more time. I will just want time with you. I want you to both see my boys grow, and have them know you both. But I know sometimes, you don’t get to have every experience you want in life.

The biggest mistake we tell ourselves in this world…is that we have time.

All I can do is continue to tell you how much I love you. The positive impact of you both have on me as your daughter and as a woman is palpable. You both always supported me as an artist in this world, you modeled what it was to be a good, thoughtful, human being. Sure, we all make mistakes as parents and people. I feel I am making mistakes with my boys….but at the heart, I believe love, kindness, and respect is what I’m passing down to my boys.

The hole that will be in my heart and in my spirit when either one of you is gone from this world will be immense. I know it. I try to live in a place of gratitude always, because I still have you both in my life. But I know, at any moment you could be gone, and it will be immensely painful.

I will miss you so much, every day.

But…even though I have you….. I miss you now. I have lived far from home for decades and I miss your hugs, your presence and just those small life moments you think are insignificant day to day.

But I know I had to take flight and go after my dreams in big cities, experience life outside of Pleasant Hill, and find my way. I know you dreamed of that for me.

But those small moments are what I will miss the most. Your voice, your hugs, your silly jokes, laughter. That’s what I will try to always hold in my heart and in my spirit when you are gone. Because no matter when it happens, I won’t be ready to have either one of you leave this earth. I just won’t.

I love you more than I can say with words. I really want you to always hold on to the fact that I wouldn’t be the woman that I am, the mother and wife that I am without the guidance of you both.

That is my greatest success in my life.

Your daughter,

Merie