This is my beautiful Mother.

Audrey is the daughter of Lewis Romines and Betty "Acree"

She is the Mother of Betty Gene , Judy , and myself.

Audrey was born in Edmonton, KY., and came alone by bus to live in Indiana at the tender age of 17, where she began working full time.

She worked for U.S. Rubber during WWII and later she worked for RCA, but her last 23 years in the work field was spent as an assembly line worker for Western Electric, where she retired in 1978 with a disability due to Rheumatoid Arthritis that eventually left her bedridden.

I can't say enough about this precious lady.
She raised 3 girls by herself and we always had way beyond what we needed.

She gave us a very loving home that was filled with lots of toys, a swingset, sandbox, tree swing, bunnies, ducks, turtles, fish, puppies and kittens.
Plus she always took us to carnivals, the park, the zoo, theme parks, swimming, fishing, horseback riding, and my most favorite were the trips we made back to her childhood home to visit with my grandparents on their farm.
I don't know how she found the time, or money to do all these things for us, but she did!
My Mom didn't drive until she was 53, so most of the places we went we either walked, took a taxi, or a bus, until my middle sister, Judy, began to drive.

At Christmas time we would go downtown to see the animated windows and ride the train at L.S Ayres that took us straight to Santa.
She always made a great Christmas for us and because of her my whole childhood seemed almost magical.

I can remember her handing me the Sears Christmas Catalog, along with a pencil and paper to write out my wish list and she would sit there beside me and appear to be just as excited and thrilled I was to see all the new toys for that year.


This life was very hard on my Mother and death did her no big favors either. She suffered for 6 solid weeks in I.C.U. before giving up, and in some ways I guess that made it a little easier to let her go.
As badly as I miss her, I wouldn't want her back another second in the pain she endured toward the end. So maybe that is why it had to be that way, because she was sure hard to let go of.
In my eyes, when God created my Mother, He really did break the mold and I am beyond blessed that I got to be part of her wonderful, precious life.
What an awesome example she set for us.

I love you and miss you more than ever, Momma.

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A poem I wrote for my precious Mother on Saint Patrick's Day, 2006.

Come On In

I wish I could see you and hug you once more.
I wish I could knock once again at your door.

I'd holler "It's me Mom"
and you'd say "Come on in,"
We'd talk about good times,
about family, and friends.

We'd laugh and get tickled over all sorts of things,
And I'd look in your eyes, and see the sparkle they'd bring.

You would tell me the stories from back in your day,
And I listened intently to all that you'd say.

Then sometimes our smiles would turn into tears,
for the loved ones we miss and hold very dear.

How I cling to the memories you've left in my mind,
Hoping not to forget them as time quickly goes by.

So now I tell the stories from back in my day,
About days long before my dear Mom passed away.

I tell of the love and the happiness we shared, And all the good times she made certain were there.

I love you so much Mom, and just wish once again,
I could knock on your door, and you'd say "Come on in."

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