A Mother's Day Like No Other

Mother's Day will be different for many this year due to the coronavirus. Even as restrictions are lifted, things are not back to normal.

In the past, Rechelle Brown would celebrate and have dinner with LaVeta Beyke for Mother's Day. Although Rechelle and Laveta are not related by blood or marriage, still, Rechelle refers to LaVeta "she is just my Mom."

Rechelle Brown knows that she can't visit her "Mom" this Mother's Day because as the Kimball County Courthouse, where Rechelle works, reopens she will once again be dealing directly with the public and doesn't want to risk any exposure to her "Mom."

Right before the reopening, Rechelle visited "her Mom," LaVeta at a six foot distance, took her dinner and groceries, no hugs though.

Rechelle believes that LaVeta has done extremely well with this confinement, but at first she continued to watch the news, getting discouraged and scared. Rechelle said she told her to quit watching the news and finally, Father Karnish told her to quit watching the news and she did.

Now, according to Rechelle, she appears to be dealing with the situation just fine.

Rechelle's mom and fad live in Tulsa, Okla., but the mother she is talking about is 96-year-old LaVeta Beyke.

Rechelle said, "I just have another Mother."

Some 30 thirty years ago, Rechelle and LaVeta became friends over their work in flower gardens. Rechelle worked in hers at her home and LaVeta, across the street, was working in the flower beds at the Catholic church. Rechelle said, "We literally bonded over flowers beds, that is how we started talking".

Flowers are LaVeta's passion, although she "loves everything" her favorite flowers probably are "her phlox or roses" according to Rechelle.

Just like family, Rechelle has been there for LaVeta through heart surgery, hip replacement, bouts of pneumonia and various other medical issues. When it was necessary, Rechelle moved in with LaVeta to nurse her back to help.

Rechelle admits it is hard to keep Laveta down; three days after heart surgery she was up vacuuming. Hence, Rechelle's late husband Mark coined the moniker for LaVeta, "Old Battleax."

LaVeta has since told Rechelle, that is what she misses most about Mark, him calling her "Old Battleax."

Rechelle's boys have always considered LaVeta their grandmother and LaVeta's family have been totally accepting of all of the Browns. Their "happiest times" have been going to area greenhouses in the springtime.

"She is just my mom. My mom and dad are still alive, but I guess I have two Moms," Rechelle concluded.