Mourning # 25

Mourning # 25

 

Driving down to County General

to see my dear old Ma

stopped at a light in the crosswalk

an ice cream cone on the ground

I thought that was so sad

they honked at me to go

an ice cream cone had fallen

some clumsy kid had lost a cone

I’m staying at Ma’s house while she’s

laid up, wondering if when she’s done

could I have her spoon collection

whether burial or cremation

they let me look through the tent

all we can do is wave

I’m thankful for the doctors and nurses

and all the people they can save.

 

---- Shirley Bannister, 57, and her daughter

Demetria Bannister, 28, died weeks apart in

South Carolina. Demetria, who died first was

an elementary school teacher while Shirley

was a gerontology nurse for 30 years before

becoming head of nursing at Midlands Tech.

Both were described as loving, caring, generous

helpers. Demetria was called “a spitting image

of her mother.” “She loved mentoring kids and

making learning fun.” She was known at Windsor

Elementary as “Windsor’s Songbird” because she

loved singing and organized student productions.

Initially she showed no symptoms and followed

all safety protocols. On Sept. 4 she was admitted

to the hospital and died 3 days later. A double

funeral was organized. Dennis Bannister, Shirley’s

husband and Demi’s father called them, “The

light of any room.”