Mary Emily Ginsburg Short
This is a biographical sketch of my mom, Mary Emily Ginsburg Short, which I wrote for the 50th Anniversary Reunion of her graduating class, held July 2000. I have modified it slightly for the web. Space limitations will not allow me to do entire justice to her spirit and life, but I will attempt to give you a glimpse of the woman some knew as M'Emily, and we as Mom.
Mary Emily was born to Robert Willingham and Mary Green Ginsburg on July 28th, 1932 in Osceola, Missouri; she was the youngest of four children, and the second daughter. By all accounts, Mary was a happy child, even though a bit pudgy. Her sister Lucy felt the term "roly-poly" aptly described her. She soon came to be known as M'Emily, to distinguish between her and her mother, Mary.
M'Emily possessed a flair for the dramatic, playing pranks on her family and performing in school plays. She also sang nicely, with a clear, sweet soprano tone that was in demand for weddings and services. She was raised in the Baptist denomination, as her father was the son of the Brazilian missionary Solomon Louis Ginsburg. Her mother had been raised Methodist, however, and the slightly rebellious M'Emily recalled attending their services at times as well. She also tried out Catholic masses, especially the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. M'Emily attended Osceola schools all through her grades, graduating from Osceola High School in 1950.
After graduation, M'Emily attended Mary Hardin-Baylor College for one year, then transferred to Central Missouri State College to complete her Bachelor of Science in Education. She graduated from there in 1954 and went to Amarillo, Texas, to teach speech correction. While there, Mary served as a USO Junior Hostess, and met Ted Short while at a Service Club Dance, where Ted was playing piano in the band. They married June 11, 1955, with classmate Larry Lewis as one of the ushers.
The first three years of their marriage were spent in Hawaii, where Ted had been sent on assignment with the Air Force. Soon they had two young boys, James Howard and Jonathan Albert. In the fall of 1958, they were on their way to New Jersey, with M'Emily stopping in Columbia, Missouri, at her parent's house, awaiting the birth of her third child, Donald Eugene. During this visit, Mary's father, Robert W. Ginsburg, died of a heart attack, one week after the arrival of his new grandson.
A year or so later M'Emily gave birth to her fourth son, Robert William. Near the end of 1961, Mary and Ted figured their "built-in" basketball team would be complete with the arrival of their fifth child: no such luck! Much to their surprise and (I'd always been told) delight, their only daughter Mary Anna was born.
Feeling their family was now complete, Mom began to turn her attentions toward using the college degree she'd attained, which would, of course, help with financial matters as well. Five children on an Air Force Sergeant's salary?... You do the math! So she sought a teaching position in the local school district, instructing children in the first and third grades for many years. In 1968, Mom and Dad discovered their family was not quite complete; for it lacked the presence of Thomas Richard, who was born October of that year. Mom always characterized his late birth as a "Post-script": something very important that was meant to come in the body of a letter, and should not be left out.
It was around this time that Mom began to feel the first effects of the disease Multiple Sclerosis. A confirmed diagnosis would have to wait a couple of years, but came eventually. At the time, doctors knew little about the course, cause, or cure for the disease, and gave her about five years to live. In 1971 Dad was transferred to Tacoma, Washington's McChord Air Force Base. The move meant a more moderate climate for Mom, which was good for the MS. She managed to walk with only a cane, which was seldom used at first. She resumed teaching, but only as a substitute, since a full-time position was too stressful for her physically.
Dad's retirement from the Air Force in 1973 came when it was a choice between retirement, or a move to Arizona. He knew the desert heat would kill Mom, so made the choice to remain here.
Soon after the family's arrival in Washington, we kids began going to church with our friends from school. Now, her faith had always been a part of Mom's life, but her church attendance had been sporadic, since it was very difficult to get six children dressed and ready on time. But when Mom and Dad saw us all going in different directions, on a regular basis, they decided we'd better attend church as a family. They looked around and settled on Bethany United Methodist, after driving by one day as service was letting out and seeing all the young teens and children. The following Sunday, the whole family trouped in and took up a full pew! The pastor was so amazed that he made us all stand up in front and "interviewed" us right there! That began an association which continues to this day, as that remains my home church.
With her education background, Mom became the Sunday School Superintendent, and also coordinated Vacation Bible School for several years. She was president of the United Methodist Women and sang in the choir, with her lovely soprano voice. The rest of the family sang as well, and we would make treats at Christmas time for our friends, and sing to them as we presented the goodies.
Mom eventually had to give up even the substitute teaching, as MS continued to take its toll on her ability to walk. She resisted a wheelchair as long as possible, using instead a walker, or our ready arms. Finally, after a visit from her sister Lucy in 1977, she was ready to admit a wheelchair would be helpful, at least for stores and the mall. It became an honor for us kids to be allowed to push her in the wheelchair, with the testing ground being the upper floor of the Bon Marche, in their yarn department. If we could get her around in there without mashing her toes into the displays, we had our "driver's license" for her chair.
Mom had an optimistic spirit, always seeing a bright side to every situation, or so it seemed to us kids. She approached MS in the same way, giving her legs names when they wouldn't cooperate ("Reluctant" for the left leg, and "Recalcitrant" for the right), and using her skill in knitting to remain productive. She knit many wonderful items for us, and began a tradition of a knit afghan upon each of our marriages. When the grandchildren began to arrive, she knit them afghans and sweaters, and booties, and all the little gifts she could think of to show her love. The church Christmas Bazaar benefitted from her generosity as well, with many of her bootie sets being snapped up by appreciative parents and grandparents.
As the MS took away her physical abilities, Mom turned to Bible study to learn more of God's word and to deepen her faith. She gave us a living example of Faith in action, as we watched her spirit shine brighter, though her body failed her.
In June 1997, she entered Tacoma Lutheran Home as a result of a fall; this turned out to be a blessing not only for her, but for Dad, as he was relieved of the burden of her daily care when his own health was failing. He came out to see her on a daily basis, keeping her connected to her pets and home as well as he could. In January 1998 he joined her there, after having learned he had perhaps a year or less left to him, as a result of Congestive Heart Failure. The two of them were together again and could hardly be found in their room, as they made use of every social opportunity the nursing home afforded them. We came to hold the Bingo hour sacred, and knew not to interrupt or expect much of a visit if we happened to arrive near to time for Bingo! We honored Mom's spirit of fun and love of Bingo by having one last round together at her memorial service.
Mom and Dad's marriage vows were completed on August 15, 1998, as Dad died a gentle, peaceful death with Mom and me at his side. Later that fall, Mom needed major care of a decubitis ulcer which had been persistently bothering her, so she entered the hospital for what was expected to be a week or two. It ended up being three months. After battling infections, a diseased gall-bladder, and suffering through many surgeries and skin grafts, Mom was released back to her home on February 3rd, 1999. She went to her heavenly Home two days later, with me at her side.
If she had been asked to write this, she would have written about her children and grandchildren, for they were her great joy. She had a truly humble soul; probably believing she had done nothing very special; but we who knew her know she was an uncommonly "ordinary" woman, strong of spirit, generous in love, steadfast in faith. Her spirit shines even more brightly in our hearts.