Community Corner
Happy Mother’s Day To Elly Burton
"I was born deaf, and she fought hard to find a good school for me."
In celebration of Mother's Day on Sunday May 13, we asked Patch readers to write a letter to their mother and let us deliver it. This is Connie Klingensmith's letter to her mom:
My mother, Elly Burton, is an exceptional person. We moved to Fairfax City in 1967 from Hawaii. I was born deaf, and she fought hard to find a good school for me, but unfortunately there were no mainstream programs or sign language interpreters. So, with much hard work and determination, she founded a total communication program at Mantua Elementary, Frost Middle School and W. T. Woodson High. She was my advocate, and she always made sure I got a good education. I successfully graduated from Woodson in 1983.
I played softball for FPYC for six years. I was the only deaf player on the team. She and my now-deceased dad were at every game to support me. She always interpreted for me when the coach was talking to us, the players.
She taught me many things throughout my life, including the importance of perseverance and never giving up. She values her family first above anything else, and I strive to do the same. She always maintains a positive and optimistic attitude. She always puts others first and values serving others out of the goodness of her heart. She is willing to sacrifice her time and efforts for others.
Every time I come to visit her from Rochester, New York, I enjoy cooking together and listening to her childhood stories and memories of her being an Army wife, when she traveled all over the world.
I live in Rochester, and I am sad that I won't be able to come and celebrate Mother's Day with her. She is very special to me. She will be 93 years old in June. Happy Mother's Day! I love you!
—Connie Klingensmith
See all Mother's Day Letters here.
For next month's Love In A Small Town feature, we want to help you give Dad the best Father's Day gift ever. Write him a heartfelt letter to tell him how much he means to you, email it to locallove@patch.com and we'll feature it in your town's newsfeed on Father's Day. Get more details here.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/ TierneyMJ
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