Dear Classmates,
My name is Mark Whitehead and I have been remembered mostly as “that guy who married Mary Earney”. Mary and I have two grown children. Our son Scott is a manager at Pepsi Americas, and our daughter Emily teaches high school English and is working on her master’s degree in English. We also have a daughter-in-law and son-in-law. Scott’s wife, Jane, is a stay at home mom and has a photography business part-time. Emily’s husband Bill is a lawyer.
We have been blessed with two granddaughters, Ava who is four and Audrey who is two. Ava is sugar and spice, Grandpa’s little princess. Audrey is rough and tumble. Her first words were “Go Irish!” She will help you with your tools and she will “fix” things for you.
Mary has worked at Ameren for 24 years. Her hobbies are baking, spending time with our children, their spouses, and grandchildren, listening to music, and embroidering baby quilts. She also volunteers for the St. Patrick’s Center casserole dinner program through our parish, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.
I worked for 27 years as a structural draftsman (less five years that I worked for American Water Works) and retired in November 2006 due to health issues. On
Today, with the help of Mary, of course, and a drug called Levadopa, I live comfortably with my illness. Most days the drugs work well and I play my guitar, and draw renderings of buildings and houses. I also draw portraits. (Directed motion and muscle tension stops PD tremors.) I’m lucky.
My artwork is for sale (more on that on my Facebook page) with all profits going to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association, St.Louis chapter. St. Louis APDA
We still live in
Mark and Mary: was nice to read up on you and your growing family. I was just home this past wk to visit mom for mother's day and drove past your original place when you first got married and was thinking of you. Debating about coming home for the 30th; thought it might be an "adventure". Katie Bakke (Becherer)
ReplyDeleteWell hello Katie! Oh my -- that old place has sure seen better days. I hope you do come home for the reunion. The blog & facebook contacts helped nudge us to plan on attending.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary and Mark,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Mary. I was sorry to hear about your diagnosis Mark. My dad had Parkinsons Disease. When we first found out, we were told it was a family disease. We found out that was certainly true. Your blessed to have Mary and your family. The medication really helped my dad. On a lighter note, I hear grandchildren are more fun than your own children. It sounds like you are enjoying them. Since you are still in town, maybe you would like to come to the mission with me one night. It's at 1900 and State street, Downtown, Granite. I would be happy to go with you sometime. My email address is steve-cindykofahl@charter.net. I look forward to seeing you both at the reunion.
Cindy Kofahl