May 12, 2023

Meeting of the Moms

Scenes from our 2023 Mother’s Day Luncheon

The Mother’s Day luncheon at Mt. Assisi Place on May 12 offered delicious food, lively entertainment and an opportunity to reflect on the wonderful people our Residents have raised. Our food services team served beef tenderloin and salmon, accompanied by mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts and tiramisu. Fan favorite “Hey Joe!” provided the entertainment — Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline was an absolute must — and the moms among us provided all the advice we needed on parenting.

“I had three, and they’re all great kids,” Carole Bosilovic says proudly of her adult children who have since blessed her with nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Dee Hartle’s family is still growing, with a third great-grandchild due any day now. She beams about the three daughters and son she raised, and will tell anyone within earshot that two of her daughters grew up to be doctors.

Seated across the table, Betty Donovan raised 11 children and now has “too many grandchildren to count. I’ve run out of fingers and toes to count them on. I must have 60!” she says.

She buys greeting cards in bulk to keep up with all the birthdays, anniversaries and graduations happening all around the country. One of her brood is usually in town on any given weekend, including daughter Colleen, who came from Seatttle over Mother’s Day Weekend.

“I think I’m gonna have a ton of people here this weekend,” says Connie McKee, mother of three boys and a girl. “Some are even coming from out of town to see me!” Like most of the moms in the room, she agrees her boys were easier to raise than her daughter.

“Boys are easy,” says Linda Randa, who raised one along with her three daughters. Maryann McClain should know — she raised five of them. They’ve since given her six grandkids

Though Helen Metro has endured a mother’s greatest pain in burying her son — who she still lovingly describes as “a good boy,” — she never spends a dull moment with her daughters. “We’re always laughing about something,” she says. “People wonder what we’re up to!”

Sylvia Banovatz cherishes the love of her sole son as she celebrates another Mother’s Day. Her tablemate, Rita Jones, smiles fondly when asked about her three kids, as well. No matter the size of the family, all agree that a mother’s heart truly blossoms when her first baby is born. “We do the best we can,” says Carole. “We get through it, and now they’re all good people.”