On this Mother’s Day weekend I want to honor the most important person in my life growing up. It was on the 26th day of December 1922 when the best Christmas gift of my future life was born, my wonderful mother Irene Violet Anspach. She was born to Clarence and Margaret (Soliday) Anspach, the first of seven children, five girls and two boys near Indiantown Gap, PA. She was born, if not into poverty, into a very meager home which didn’t have many frills. Her mother Margaret (whose name means Pearl) was the pearl of her life and her mom had a tremendous Christian influence in her life. Being born the day after Christmas, for my mom there were many years her Christmas gift and birthday gifts were one in the same, but I never once heard her complain.

Back Row: My Mom, Wayne, Minnie, John, Dorothy Front Row: Margaret…