Grandma McFadden

On the way to England Kelly and I took a long hour lay over so we could swing by my grandmother's in LaGrange. She has been very tired and sick lately and she's been in and out of the hospital. My dad suggested we try to see her if at all possible. We did and it was great to see her. Unfortunately I got an e-mail soon after we arrived to England announcing she had passed away. Kelly and I feel very blessed we were able to visit her one last time. She lived a great life ... filled with many great years. Her funeral is Saturday. This is an excerpt of an e-mail my dad sent to my brother and me on Sept 14th: I am very glad that you stopped to see Grandma. Unfortunately, she passed away about an hour ago. Yesterday, she got to see you and Kelly, then I think Katie was there. Joan Marie was also there yesterday and called me around 7:30. She said mom was very tired and still wasn't eating very much. She had a couple bites of a Wendy's Frostie. I am not sure I ever told you that Dad also wanted those Frosties at the end. Mom was hesitant to give them to him because of his diabetes and I said, heck mom he is dying. Give him the Frosties! Anyway, late this afternoon I called to check on her and Uncle Ed answered. He said she was not doing well and hadn't eaten all day. They wanted to get her to turn over from lying on her right side to laying on her back or her left side so she wouldn't get bed sores. She wouldn't do that. Ed said she was somewhat out of it and they were trying to decide what to do. Should they take her back to the hospital, call hospice or whatever. Apparently, they decided to put her back on the antibiotics and then check with the hospital in the morning. They had to go to Walgreen's to get the medicine and she didn't want to take it. I don't know if she ever took it. In the meantime, Katie showed up, and then Uncle Pat and Joan Therese. After talking for a short while, Ed and Katie left and a few minutes later the caretaker went in to mom's room to check on her. She called Pat and Joan in because something was wrong. She had died. It was so soon after Ed & Katie left, they were still in the parking lot. So at least you got to see her at the end. Joe, I am sorry that you didn't get to see her in the past few years, but age had been taking its toll. At least she died peacefully and at home. My grandma was a very special lady. She raised a great family ... and a big one indeed. The notice was completely filled just with the list of family survived:

Joan Marie McFadden

Joan Marie McFadden, nee Mulcahy, of LaGrange Park and Grand Beach, MI, died peacefully at home on Wednesday evening, September 14, 2005, beloved wife of the late Edward P. McFadden, Sr.; loving mother of Edward (Fidelis), Roger (Diane), Patrick (Joan), Michael (Mary Ann) and Joan (James) Marcellus; cherished grandmother of Edward (Jenny), William (Kathleen), Kathleen (Kevin) Larmon and Martin McFadden, Bridget, Maureen, Patrick and Michael McFadden, Michael (Kelly), Joseph and Brian McFadden and Elizabeth, Christopher and Anne Marcellus; devoted great-grandmother of Lily Larmon, Margaret McFadden, Emmett Larmon, Liam McFadden, Edward McFadden IV and Matthew McFadden; devoted sister of Mary Helen (the late Dr. Edmund) Donoghue, Therese (the late Clarence) Usher and the late Roger Mulcahy; fond sister-in-law of Honey Mulcahy and Henrietta McFadden; preceded in death by her parents, Roger and Johanna Mulcahy. Family and friends will meet at Christ the King Church, 9235 S. Hamilton Ave. on Saturday morning for visitation 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials to Sisters of Charity, B.V.M., 1100 Carmel Dr., P.O. Box 858, Dubuque, IA 52004-0858 appreciated. Information: Heeney-Laughlin Funeral Directors, 708-636-5500. Published in the Chicago Tribune from 9/16/2005 - 9/17/2005.