New tombstone for mother is unique Christmas present from children

We—six children all grown up now—wanted to buy our widowed mother a very special gift, but we told her that she couldn’t use it for a long time.

Our father died in 1951, and his tombstone was very faded. You had to get down on your knees to be able to read the words inscribed on it.

We wanted our mother to pick out a new tombstone, and told her that we would pay for it.

She laughed, and did choose a new tombstone that she liked to mark their graves.

She said it was the nicest thing that we could do for her.

(Judy Mang is a member of St. Louis Parish in Batesville.) †

The Criterion