Mother's Day 2026

My mother Lena Kash Holther, born in 1910, was a daughter of the south who made her home in the west. The south never really left her any more than did the unmistakable drawl,  identifiable after nearly sixty years.

Her mother, Nell White Kash, was  born in 1890, married at eighteen to a young lawyer, twelve years her senior. They were together until his death in 1955.Their daughter, my mother was their only child.

My father’s mother Dora Pauline Hatch Holther, born in 1869, was married in 1890.A widow at thirty eight, she was left with three young children, two others had died in 1898 from scarlet fever. Her husband died in 1907, his youngest son, my father, less than two years old.

Not the stuff of mothers day cards with a picture of sweet, spicy  carnations prominent. The three stories above only hint at the separations and sacrifice through the years. Decisions to stay or leave, as well as situations of plenty or want in times of uncertainty. And then there was the upheaval of moving! All  three retained and created normalcy, safety, and beauty for their families. Good food was served, and beds of rest and security were somehow provided.

The oldest of the three was the first to fly in a plane! All three women liked their fingernails just so. Only the two youngest could drive a car. These are details which I feel lucky to know about and there are others I will include in a longer piece for our family, giving each their due , the uniqueness of each women’s contribution honored.

Now all three rest from their labors and their progeny is blessed. For  these three , and those unnamed  who came before, Happy Mother’s Day!