Pat Donica's Story on Blog

Here is a picture of Pat as Easter Bunny.


To Classmates from Louella Spencer Cherry

I just had a long email from Pat Donica. She was one of my very best friends in Jr. High and High School. Her email is longer than most put on the blog. However, I loved reading it. I think those who loved Pat as I did will enjoy it. I think anyone who did not know her well, might be inspired by it. I told Pat in reply, "She is the real thing."

P. S. We have quite a lot of classmates checking the blog for pictures. There are a number of people who have promised them - either by emailing or mailing them to me. Let's not let our viewers down. Please keep the pictures coming. bsls317@indy.rr.com

Pat Donica's story

I've been getting the blog of CHS and all the write ups of everyone. Well, my life has been kind of a mixed up one! But I'm proud of what I am and where I am today. I got married right out of high school and therefore never went to college, we had our 2 girls and lived in Chattanooga and because of job situations moved to VA for a short time and then to Denver, Co. for several years and were divorced after 14 years of marriage. The girls and I stayed in Co. both of them eventually married after they were out of high school and started their own families and moved on to other places. At the time of the divorce I had to find a job as I had never worked so as I had been doing ceramics at a local shop, a new owner came on the scene and I was asked if I would be interested in managing the shop! This was really a surprise for me and a big challenge as I had never worked outside the home. He sent me to "ceramic school" to learn techniques, products and etc. I really became involved in the teaching aspect and found I really liked being able to do something on my own. I also started teaching classes in my home and doing finished pieces for local gift shops, etc. Later I also ventured out, after the shop owner died and I had no job, into a decorating company that did home sales, designing and I had a lot of training with them.

Then I decided to move to New Bern, NC in 1990 to be close to my oldest daughter and her family. I had no job but started doing alterations for a group of women I had met and before you knew it----I had a thriving business!!! God is good!!! Again I married and after several years, we decided to move to Florida to retire!! Right!!!??? After about a year there, my husband became sick, had to have a kidney removed and never recovered from that trauma mentally. He never came to be happy with his life and thought he was a failure. I kept praying for him to know Jesus and he thought I was "pushing religion" down his throat so I backed off as a suggestion from my Episcopal priest. Things were really "hairy" for about a year and he then decided to move in with a woman at work. Guess what her name was!!!! Yes, it was Pat. He filed for a divorce from me and the day it was final applied for a marriage license with her! That made life interesting to say the least!!! I got calls from the florist, the insurance company, work, etc. for months!!!! They had the wrong Pat Crawford though!!!!! I think, now, the divorce was a "God Thing" as he became really sick with cancer and only lived about a year after remarrying. I think the Lord knew I wouldn't be able to handle what he went through at the end.

In the meantime when we first moved to Florida, again I started sewing for people still did no advertising. The word just got out in my neighborhood and at church and this time I did the Interior Decorating part, drapes, throw pillows, bedding, etc. I had a large family room that I turned into my workroom and the business just kept coming in!! We (my mother and I, you see she moved to Fl at the same time we did but did live on her own) were blown away by the growth of my business. We lived in Ocala which is about 30 miles north of a big retirement area called "The Villages" and I was down there either delivering/installing, meeting new clients or working with another designer in that area on the average of 2 or 3 times a week! Again, the Lord took care of me. I had an installer, an upholstery man, and many out sources for products I needed to run the business, still out of my house! Even though I was really working hard, when I look back on that time, I really enjoyed it a lot. I didn't just work all the time---I had many Christian girlfriends and was very active in my church and was having the time of my life!! Then in 2004 my mother and I decided to buy a house together so that I could be close to her as she had stopped driving and was beginning to fail in her health some and I needed more space. We found the perfect house!! Her bedroom was on one end and mine on the other and in between was a huge family room that the owner had built to fit around his pool table!! It had a 2-1/2 car garage so I had more room to work as well as room to store supplies, etc. We even had a large screened in swimming pool! which I would use when my mother was sick. It was my get away for a few minutes and so convenient. It seemed life was soooooo perfect!! Till around August of that year (2004) my mother became worse and ended up in the hospital 3 times from August to September. She had 2 large aneurysms and there was nothing they or we could do. She was put on Hospice home care (which they are true angels from God!!) and I tried to continue to work and be there for her. When she first started getting worse, around July, my brother took over the business end of my business and that took a lot of pressure off me.

That was the year that Florida had 4 hurricanes all in the same summer/fall! Quiet an exciting year!!! Anyway mother was able to be taken to a Hospice Home 2 days after the last hurricane which was another "God Thing" for me! That Saturday I had a guy from church come to help me get limbs, etc picked up out of our yard and a tree that was leaning on the power lines at the street. Well, things went from bad to worst!! I twisted my knee and had to be taken for medical help and sent home to be off my knee for 2 weeks! My brother was still there and had been staying with mother the whole time. He did bring her home on that Sunday after I hurt my knee and she had gone down so much since I had seen her on Friday (just 2 days earlier). She didn't recognize me till almost time for them to go back to Hospice House. I knew in my heart then that I would never see her again! Monday night my brother had to go back home to Indiana for some emergency business. On Tuesday morning the Hospice nurse called me and said mother was going fast. I called my priest and he went out to be with her. I did get to tell her over the phone (they held up to her ear for me) goodbye and I loved her and I could hear her say my name very faintly. That was the hardest day of my life! I wanted so much to be there for her but knew it would be very hard and so deep in my heart I believe God knew that I couldn't handle it and that is why I hurt my knee! My brother and sister in law came back in a couple of days for the funeral and to drive a truck back with the things of mother's that was his. Mother had no friends at all, I was her total life. My closest girlfriends came to her funeral unexpected and my heart was so grateful for them. They each said a few words about her and my brother was blown away by them. Toward her end at home, they would come to our house when we wanted to do something together, because they knew I couldn't leave her. My church family kept me fed and taken care of for that time of my recouping. I did get on crutches and finally able to drive, work and go on with my life. Boy was that hard!!!

I really worked hard when I could and got caught up with the sewing and the business and decided that I could not afford to keep the house by myself financially so put it on the market after a month since being by myself. My cousins here in Springfield had me come to "look around" for Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving, I got a call from my realtor with an offer on the house.

Guess what I decided VERY QUICKLY!!!???? I think I'll try living in Missouri now!!! In 2 days my cousin, Carl and I found me a duplex to rent. The thing with the house though was that the buyers wanted to be in by Christmas!!! I had almost 3 weeks to go back home to pack, finish started orders, give back deposits on orders already started and get out of the house!!! Again my friends were wonderful!!! We had 2 garage sales, I sewed on already started orders, got them installed(my installer was a wonderful guy), packed for the move and be ready by Dec 21 for my cousin and cousin in law to come and load the truck and we drove to MO and got here two days before Christmas! I'm just tired again, typing about it!!! I left everything as they unloaded the truck, pulled out some winter clothes and then drove to my daughter's in McPherson, Kansas for Christmas! I stayed there for about 2 weeks and did a lot of resting and crying and getting myself going again. Jennifer (my youngest daughter) is my rock! She was and is so supportive to me.

Well I lived in the Springfield for a year but had worked that year down in Branson at the amusement park that belonged to Silver Dollar City and while I had the winter off would come down to this area looking for places to live. Again the Lord was taking care of me. I found my present place and applied for residency. You see I'm in a senior qualified duplex complex of only a block long of duplexes and after waiting a couple of months, an opening came for me! Again God was working in my life because I was just under the financial qualifications of $26.00!!! So I got to move in!!! Of course as you can tell, I don't seem to do things in my life easy!! I had to have minor hand surgery right about the time I was to move so my kids from Kansas came the day after I moved in down here and spent 4 days with me and got me all settled! It sure is hard to do things with one hand! My son in law, Roger is so good to me and he can do just about anything. He is so special!

In the meantime, for the next work year I transferred to work at Silver Dollar City and this will be my 5th season working for the company. I work in what they call Labor Pool, which is extra people to work when they need help. I work in the merchandise shops and really like it. We are "on call" status but usually know a week or so ahead of time when we are to work. Sometimes I do get called in the morning of the day they need me and if I have plans I just tell them no! I have a great boss who is a Christian and understands when I want time off for churchy things. Usually by this time of year I have already been working some but not this year with the economy like it is. Hopefully it will pick up in the summer. In the meantime I am enjoying my free time. I've have a very close church group and other girlfriends that we do a lot of things together. Right now Branson is gearing up for this season so just about every show in town are having what they call "area appreciation" where locals can get in for $5-7.00 or like last night we went to see Mickey Gilley and they were supporting the animal control cause so if you brought dog or cat food in and are a local resident, you got in free. Sometimes we eat out before the shows or have treats afterwards or like this Friday we are going to an afternoon show, then have dinner and go to another show!!! I get in free on this one and most of the others because of work but the other girls have to pay only $8.00 for both of the shows!

In the meantime, I am still doing some sewing but not trying to make a big business of it. I mostly do alterations now with only a few home decor type jobs. I got rid of my big cutting table about a year ago but still have my machines. When I do have a big drapery, etc job to cut out, I go to my church and use the big long tables. They are always interested to see what I'm doing next! So, you see, I never have a dull moment in my life!!! and I really didn't intend for this be this long or so much details but it's hard to tell you where and why I've been in so many places! I still hear from my friends from all over and I'm excited about the class reunion. It has been so neat to read about the people on the blog.

Also I forgot to tell you I do some "clowning around" at times! I am also an Easter Bunny and yesterday "performed"/was the guest of honor, for our church Easter Egg Hunt. I don't have any computer pictures of my clown, but will bring the pictures for the reunion if you like. I did a lot of clowning in NC and FL but not too much here yet! Through the hardships and down times, I could not have made it through without my Lord and Savior and family and friends!!! He is always there for us!

Pat Donica