 |
Elder Stories
Melvin Woodenthigh
Melvin Woodenthigh |
On January 8, 2003, a dear friend, Melvin Woodenthigh, a great-grandson of Chief Little Wolf, died suddenly at the age of 81. He had joined us for Thanksgiving Day dinner to inspect the Heritage Living Center. He visited with his friends about life at the home. Like many elders, he was fearful that this was a "nursing home," an idea that faded rapidly as his questions were answered. His parting words were: "I will make an appointment with the doctor for a check-up before I move in." He lived alone in a little house along the Tongue River. Melvin's doctor appointment was coming up but he never made it. They found him dead in his home.
Melvin's passing touched us all because we were looking forward to his coming to live with us. It also brought back many memories. Back in the 1950s I remember Melvin because he provided the best care he could for his aging father, Chester, who was completely crippled with rheumatoid arthritis. Melvin brought him to church on Sundays and to other community celebrations in the back of an old farm wagon drawn by two horses. I often visited with them in their small log cabin, weeds growing on the dirt roof. It was dark and dreary inside but to them it was home. Melvin carried the water from the river, hunted for game and cooked the meals. They shared stories of the past and I was blessed by their joy and sense of humor.
Melvin's father never complained about his suffering. One day I came to the house and there was no answer to my rap on the door. Then I heard Chester calling to me from behind the house. Melvin was working on a ranch across the river and the old man was home alone. I aked him what he was doing out on the wagon. With a toothless grin, he said, "the bed bugs got so bad inside that I moved out." Chester was on a make-shift willow frame draped with canvas, his only protection from the scorching summer sun.
With a sense of sorrow in my heart, I regret that Melvin never made it back to the Heritage LLiving Center. I keep asking myself what we could have done to help him move into the home. I know that Melvin was not the type of person who could be rushed into things. Moving to a home with hot running water, indoor plumbing and no wood burning stove, would have drastically changed his life. Perhaps it was taking him some time to adjust to the culture shock of living in a much more comfortable, yet different world.
Melvin Woodenthigh, a dear friend, will be missed.
