Photos for Headline Surfer / TOP: Anna Marie Moreira Frederick (October 31, 1939 - August 27, 2003) (with son, Henry Frederick, at age 3) in the inset.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
LAKE Mary, Fla. -- My Mom, of Portuguese descent, was born at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, Connecticut, and raised in the nearby village of Attawaugan in Killingly.
She was the middle of three sisters; her father died at age 40 when she was 12.
My mother devoted her entire adult life to being a wife and mother. She did not favor one kid over another; we were treated equally.
She kept a "baby book" on us through the first 10 years of life. I was amazed at how detailed my baby book was when it was given to me by my father after her death on Aug. 27, 2003 (the same day as my dad's birthday). He is still very much alive at age 86.
I want you to know how special and dedicated my Mom was because she taught me how to read and write at age 3. Should anyone be surprised that my chosen career was journalism? And that I was successful with dozens of award-winning stories in print and online?
This is my testament to my Mom with this mantra: Happy Mother's Day in Heaven.