Marie wasn’t just the woman Charlie had married or the Mother of their children, she was Charlie’s lover, partner and best friend. Marie was the heart of their home who’s love had shaped the boys, especially the older boys and Kathleen. Marie gave her family a sense of humor, encouraged curiosity, creativity, and doing every job well. Long before they understood those values, she was quietly giving each one of her children character, preparing her family to be the parents and the leaders they would become.

Marie built a family whose greatest inheritance would not be possessions, it would be love! And most important of all, Marie gave Charlie the strength he would need to raise the family which now became his, alone!

Charlie took control, enlisted help of family, friends, the church and school. He hired housekeepers who failed to control a family of 7. The prospect of a step mother proved out of the question. But Charlie found ways to manage the children and in the end was able to lead his family to education, successes, greatness and in the end created families of their own! In simple terms, it took a lot of work and a lot of loving!