I would say that her death was unexpected, except that in going through her things I saw that she was not taking very good care of herself; honestly, I’m not sure that she has ever been able to. She was smoking heavily, drinking. I had a conversation with another resident of her building that said she liked to come to the group dinners; she had a lot of food hoarded in her apartment, though it didn’t look like she’d been eating very well – in quality and quantity.

I hadn’t spoken to her since some time in 2007, after Barton and I moved to Lansing. I feel guilty for not keeping better contact with her, but, it was mostly to protect myself. My mom was diagnosed “paranoid schizophrenic” – I could write a book based on my experiences with just her throughout my life. In the least, I should probably see a therapist/psychologist.

I thought you would write to me. I have no car, it was destroyed so I am walking. I have no phone, I live at Towsley [?] Apts in Manton, MI. I cannot work & support drug addicts that have destroyed my property & I was terribly abused in Traverse City. If I make any friends they get attacked at their residences, Betty was one. I have Mitten & myself and what is left of all I have worked for. Cass Rd Self-storage they got into & smashed & trashed & stole, they are up in attic here & continue the same things. I seem to be a curiosity in public. Meadow Hill was last work & they are abusing clients serving them horse meat. I quit there because they were using me.

I need help & you are all I have, I love you & need for you to visit me & trust & believe what I have said. I have no phone. I can’t cry for all the abuse & use of me & my property. I need to see you & talk with you & for you to believe me. My birthday is Feb 14, I’m 68. I’m sorry if I abused or hurt you in any way I love you & desperately need to talk & make you understand I didn’t cause any problems or hurt anyone. I am owed by the people that have caused a created a mental ill label [?].

Please contact me

Love Mom

I went down to visit her a couple of times. Not really fun. One time, I had put my wallet in my shorts pocket when we went somewhere, and then later after we got back to her apartment I couldn’t find it – turns out it fell out of my pocket in the car and everything was OK. A year or two later, she turned that story into “someone came into the apartment and took your wallet and put it in my car!”

In early 2005 I told her I couldn’t come to visit because I couldn’t justify the expense. A couple weeks later she decided to move back to Traverse City so she could “be close to me”. In fact, she moved into the same apartment complex as me and Bart (right across the parking lot from us), and even told the management that I recommended her, when I didn’t. She eventually got evicted when she fell behind on her rent payment and was also having “people living in the attic” psychotic episodes and calling the police all the time.

That was about this time last year. Through the winter I concentrated on work and distanced myself from her (easy to do when she wasn’t living 20 steps away). I even went so far as to write a letter with guidelines for our interaction, but of course she wouldn’t follow them, and called my cell phone constantly, while I was at work, etc. Eventually I quit answering my phone when I knew or suspected it was her. So, the last time I officially heard from her was back in March or April, I think. She also quit showing up unexpectedly at my Dad’s house (I think that’s because he actually started locking the doors).

She may have had her car repossessed. I know that Ford Financing called my dad quite a bit since she left his number (and/or address) as a contact with them.

So, she’s not really missing, I guess. Just that no-one has heard from or of her for over six months now. I could probably find her if I put some effort into it and made some phone calls, but I don’t think I want to. I don’t feel like opening up that can of worms again, so to speak.