Karen

Our dear daughter Karen, was born at home in Duncan, Arizona. Two doctors attended me. Dr. Lovett and Dr. Thomas. My mother, Velda Hancock, and Raymond's mother, Vessa McGrath, were also there. The doctors set up a delivery table in the living room and the others were in the kitchen. I had a mask to give myself gas for the pain as I needed it. But soon our second beautiful baby was delivered.

What a delight to have two little girls to raise together. From the time Karen was 3 months old she wanted to sit up to see what was going on around her. I put her baby basket in the living room and propped her up in one end so she could look all around. Sometimes I think she was born talking. She didn't seem to have time to be a baby. She wanted to be busy. She and Laura had good times together playing with their dolls, listening to records, dressing the cat, cutting paper dolls. coloring, working puzzles and just about everything little girls do. I made sure they had dolls and changes of clothes to put on them. This was one of the things I loved so much when I was little.

Also I made their dresses. There weren't many stores in Duncan to buy little girl clothes and we hadn't much money anyway. So I made them. I loved dressing them alike. Karen was happy to go to school. Mrs. Kennedy was her kindergarten teacher also. She was happy until the day they told the children they would be giving shots soon. Then she didn't want anything more to do with school. I had to take her and sit with her a while to get her to go. Finally, after the shots she still wanted me to take her. I said, 'That's enough. You have to ride the bus." Well, she didn't like this much and put up a fuss. But I put her on the bus anyway. After I did this once she knew I meant it and didn't object any more to going on the bus.

After High School graduation she wanted to go to college. We managed to get her into BYU. She graduated, but also met Bruce Nay there. She said she would have liked a longer courtship, but there wasn't any more time. She was graduating and would be going home so they had to either court long distance or get married. He was from Idaho. They married and were very happy with each other but had to accept the sad news that they couldn't have children.

They remained at BYU until Bruce received his PHD. He got a job in Flint, Michigan. While there they adopted an adorable little girl, Rachel. What a delight she is to them. Soon after they moved to Provo, Utah again where Bruce was a professor at BYU. While still in Provo they adopted a little boy, Porter James. Rachel had told them she would get a little brother and his name was PJ. So when it happened they had to think of a name to go with PJ.

Then he was offered a place with a new computer company a group started. They were always a wonderful family enjoying what they did together. They were living in Cary, North Carolina when the devastating news came that Karen had MS. For many years she coped with this disease but it continued to make inroads in her life and limited her ability.

She and Bruce were called to serve a mission. She was able to do this. It was a mission where they could live at home. In working with others she gained wonderful spiritual strength for her own life. She coped with the MS but was so brave she became a strength to others. She had a good friend who also had MS and they helped and comforted each other. She was asked to speak to women's groups to give them strength and courage to cope with problems in their lives.

She is a wonderful example to us all as she continues to cope with her disease. At this time they live in Caldwell, Idaho. They purchased Bruce's Mother's house there. Rachel and her husband Derek Cheney are there to help Bruce care for Karen who is now in a wheelchair. We are glad they made the move back to the West.