Carolyn Rae Bartley was an ordinary girl from a very small town in an out-of-the-way place.  Her greatest accomplishments in life were simple, personal ones.

Craig, Carolyn and Don Ward, Nov. 1955. I'm hiding under the newspaper -- I won't be born for 4 more months.

She married at a young age and had three sons.  Her family was the center of her universe.  She was happiest when surrounded by her kids and grandchildren.

Like every life, there are tragedies as well as happy events.  She struggled with health problems most of her adult life and lost her first born child to cancer.

She survived her first encounter with that same disease, but it returned years later to finally claim her life.

No — she wasn’t a saint or a celebrity or anybody who attracted a lot of attention.

But, like all mothers, she made priceless contributions to the lives of many others — including me.

Today is the anniversary of her birth.  I remember mama — every single day.

WADE