My First Liberal Influence (My Mom) passed away yesterday

Mom was a very progressive liberal, and her thoughts and discussions influenced me greatly. Born at the beginning of depression in West Virginia, the depression caused her parents to move around a lot depending on Grandpa's work.
While living in Modesto CA in 1941/42, she saw Japanese children on her street taken away to internment camps. Going to a Quaker college (she was raised Methodist, and remained one all her life) brought more social awareness and understanding.

My first real political discussions started in early 70's, when she was strongly against Nixon.

Below is the beginnings of the Eulogy I will deliver at her services

My Mom, Lois (Hoppy) Catherine Kellogg Mann passed away this afternoon after a long illness. She was 88. She is reunited in heaven with her husband of over 60 years, Don and her Granddaughter Adrienne. Mom is survived by four children: Sue (Len), Cindy (Kevin), Jeff and Jon (Alex), five grand-children Stephanie (Dan), Steve, Eric, Greg (Moriah) and Jared, and one great-grandson Theo.

Mom was born in Parkersburg West Virginia in 1930. Due to the depression she moved around a lot and lived with both grandparents in the Marietta Ohio area as well as in Modesto California, Columbus Ohio, and Markle Indiana.
Mom’s lifelong nickname of Hoppy came from her love of Hopalong Cassiday Movies and Stories.
Some of Mom’s happiest Childhood moments were while she stayed at the Kellogg family farm in Kellogg Hollow, just outside of Whipple, Ohio. She would take a book from her Grandmother’s collection and go sit by the creek and read
Mom graduated from Earlham College, and went on to get a double Master’s at Northwestern, where she met Dad.
After getting married in Philadelphia, Mom settled into life as a small-town preacher’s wife, living in many different towns across Central Illinois.
After the youngest (me) started school, Mom got her teaching certificate. She taught at multiple colleges before taking a full-time position with Springfield District 186, where she taught a variety of subjects at multiple schools (and no, it isn’t fun having your Mom teach at the same school as you), before retiring.
She enjoyed attending her children’s athletic events, and started helping with the track meets. Long after all the children were gone from school, she still helped out at the track-meets, assisting anyway she could.
In her later years, she led water aerobics at the YMCA in Jacksonville, and after moving to Bickford House in Rockford, would lead stretch classes when needed.
One of Mom’s greatest joys was finally getting to have a rock garden after Dad retired and they bought a house in Waverly. Her rock garden covered a good portion of the yard, and was filled with rocks large and small brought from all over the country. I would stop on my trips from Arizona and pick up rocks that I think she would like.
Mom and Dad installed in all of us a love of nature and the outdoors. They taught us to accept everyone regardless of creed or ethnicity. She encouraged me to be my best, and always had a smile for me. We loved playing board games together, she was fond of puns no matter how bad they were. It is fitting that the last activity I did with her was one of our favorites, watching M*A*S*H together.

I am going to miss you Mom. Love you dearly and thank you for everything you taught me. For your gentle spirit and love and devotion.