Daughters plan for a different Mother's Day this year

Natalie Mansell will not be with her mother on Mother’s Day.

“It seems so strange not be able to go see her,” Natalie said.

Natalie’s mother, 85-year old Marje Engleman, lives at Chateau Girardeau, a retirement community at the corner of Independence Street and Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau.

For the last nine weeks, Chateau, due to caution inspired by the coronavirus, has strictly limited access to the facility, which caters to the highest-risk age demographic, those at least 60 years of age.

Residents of the continuing-care facility are asked to self-shelter in their homes and apartments, with meals brought by staff to their doors.

“I’ll probably call Mom on Sunday because that’s all (my sisters and I) can do,” said Natalie, who added more advanced ways of communicating aren’t in the family repertoire.

“We don’t do Zoom or Skype or any of that stuff.

“I understand the restrictions and they’re for her good,” she said.

Natalie, an administrative assistant at First State Community Bank, is one of Marje’s three daughters. Natalie has an older sister, Pam, and a kid sister, Mendi.

“Mom is handling (isolation) really well,” said Natalie, 62.

Marje said she is largely confined to her second-floor apartment, although she has gone outside the grounds for medical appointments when necessary.

“The kitchen staff calls every day for my (food) orders and members of the staff call regularly to ask how I’m doing and if everything is okay,” Marje, a widow since April 2019, added.

Marje spent many years working the ticket window at the Show Me Center and is a frequent attender at Southeast Missouri State University athletic events.

She said she told her daughters years ago something about family.

“I told each of them to spend Mother’s Day with their own kids,” said Marje, matriarch to four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“My girls are attentive (to me) all year round,” Marje said, “so Mother’s Day is kind of a normal day for us.”

Natalie last saw her mother March 14 when Chateau began its lockdown protocol.

“When Mother passed through the main doors and went inside (that day),” said Natalie, “I thought to myself, ‘I’ll see you someday.’”

Mother and daughters have plans when the isolation ends.

“As soon as we can get her out of that joint,” said Natalie, “we’re going for a great big brunch somewhere.”

Marje is ready for that day.

“When we go (for brunch), we’ll go early,” she said. “We’ll want to beat the crowd.”