Marylou is 85 and the newest resident of the Mansion. Her legs have lost almost all of their strength, and she has suffered many losses. Tom, her husband of 60 years, died in 2015; her daughter Carine died of cancer in 2017.

She is a strong woman, she accepts the nature of life.

Her son Davy was killed during military service. Her surviving son lives in Vermont; they often talk, especially Sundays.

“I don’t want him driving over two mountains to come and see me,” she said, “in the winter, we can talk on the phone.”

She insisted on caring for her husband herself. He suffered from heart disease, and she said her legs wore out while taking care of him. After she died, she visited a sister and fell out of bed and into a radiator, suffering third-degree burns.

She was hospitalized, then in rehab, and she decided to go into an assisted care facility rather than burden her sister, who was 77.

Her family found an upscale facility that had room for her.

This month, she had to leave that facility. “I loved it there,” I just ran out of money,” she said, and she relocated to the Mansion, a Medicaid facility that can take in people who have little money or can’t get into more expensive facilities.

She says she is pleased with the Mansion.

Marylou worked in the Bennington, Vt. schools for 20 years running their hot lunch program. Somewhere along the way, she had a hip replacement.

She doesn’t wish to be a burden on anyone; she wants to be independent and take care of herself.

“I pray to God every day,” she said, “and I told him, take my legs if you have to, but leave me with my mind.” He agreed to the deal.

“I have nothing to complain about,” she said, “the girls here are wonderful. They even do my laundry and will fold it if I need them to! And there are always two choices of meals!”

She shares a bathroom with one other woman, but they keep different hours, and there have been no problems.

Marylou is a walking argument for religious belief. Her faith in God sustains and encourages her.

She has plenty of things to complain about but has no complaints. She says the rosary several times a day and prays every day, usually more than once.

She showed me several photos of her husband, Tom. There are also photos of her two lost children.

“He was the most wonderful man,” she said, “we had 60 wonderful years together; there was nothing he wouldn’t do for the children or me. How can I complain about that?”

Marylou exudes perfect peace and acceptance. She was a pleasure to meet and talk with. “I lead a quiet life,” she said.

I asked her how she dealt with all of the loss in her life. “I am happy,” she said. “There is nothing that happens to me that God and I can’t handle.”