A Mothers Love; Rosemary Combs

Last night just before midnight, one day after “The Run for the Roses”, another race was completed . It was the end of a 100 year run for the rose of all roses, Rosemary Noel Combs. Mom passed away peacefully under the great care of The Pineville Hospital.

 Rosemary, also know to many as “Mamie” came to Pineville from Pittsburgh along with her husband Mason who was born in Pineville and found his bride while he pursued an artist dream, backed by a Pharmacy Degree from  Duquesne.  Dad convinced Mom to marry him and move to Pineville after a brief stay in Hazard. Mom said she was lead by The Holy Spirit to follow Dad and raise a family. That she did. She raised six children and gave us a life to remember living and working in The Flocoe. Of course, we did not live in the Flocoe, but it was a way of life for us and for so many. Dad had his name on the certificate, but it was Mom who ran the store and show while running the family. Dad was the diplomat but sometimes diplomacy got in the way. Mom had a way of fixing, stitching, sewing (most of our clothes), cooking, cleaning, typing, and giving orders forged with the same steel and grit as the Pennsylvania roots she held onto. Dad may have been a drummer, but Mom was a violinist, and we marched not to the beat but rather the rhythm of her song. And her song was work hard, pray hard , and always, always keep the faith.

 Mom would see to it that the six of us, Mary, John, James, Martha, David , and Ann along with Dad would make a visit to see our grandparents and visit the great city of Pittsburgh along with her sisters Agnes and Irene and their awesome families and brother Fr. Damian, one of my heroes being the hunter and fisherman he was. . Moms’ faith was fueled by her family and she brought that same faith to ours as we would all attend Mass at 7am every Sunday. She had the same mentality to going to mass as George Gillingam had on us going to school , even if it snowed. No Mass No Playing. One time it snowed so bad , that she gathered all of us in the living room and we had our own version with me being the priest at age 12 and David and John being altar servers while Mary, Martha, and Ann were praying for all of us.  I offered to hear confessions but all stories involved my name one way or the other, so we dismissed that idea and broke out the sleds.

 Dad would always say that in a large family you have many joys and sorrows but the joys would always outnumber the sorrows and indeed they did. We have been blessed in so many ways. The one thing that got our family through so many tough times was love. Mom loved us just as Dad did, but you felt the love because it was always there. Just like the whippoorwill on Mile Branch.

 While all six of us went to college, Mom insisted we finish. Each one of us would call at some point and time and say we needed money. She always came through. Betty Cunningham, who worked with Mom was quoted as saying” Rosemary you’re going to wear God out by praying so much. ” Mom smiled. Mom said she would rob Peter to pay Paul. Not sure how that all worked but do remember the time John and I got in an argument or rather “incident” when he kept calling me Robin Hood while I was out in the yard with my bow and arrow. I tried to convince David to put an apple on his head but that didn’t happen. He proved he was smarter than  the both of us at a very young age. John started throwing rocks as I asked him more than once to stop . I knew he didn’t intend to hit me, but for a moment I thought of him as the Sheriff of Nottingham. One piece of granite got away and grazed  me in the back of the head just as I drew back on my weapon of the forest. As he was going in the side door of the house I let it fly, just to send a message.  Well ,it did.  As John walked in I placed the arrow from 40 yards right next to him.  6 inches from the door. Ole Robin Hood became more like Peter Pan but never figured out who Paul was. Mom’s choice was the wooden spoon. Sherwood forest was never more safe after that.

 Next year marks the 50th anniversary of The Flood. The Flocoe was destroyed along with many other businesses. We gathered in the store. Everything was upside down and littered in broken glass and mud. Mom told us to come together and lead us in prayer. She then looked at all of us and said “get to work.” We shoveled mud and tossed everything out the windows and door. I remember hearing Mom laugh while we were working ; I asked her what was so funny?  How could she laugh at such a terrible time?  She said “James, God will get us through this.” Tried and True, HE did. We did . Mom did, fueled by faith.

 That brings me to 2 Timothy 4:7:” I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

 I want to thank all of you for loving Mom the way she loved all of us. A mothers love that will carry all of us through our own race and all the roses that follow.

  James Combs