1931-1977

1889-1946

1915-1980

1934-1998

Normand was diagnosed with cancer in February of 1977. He died in April at the age of 46. He had gone undiagnosed for about 3 years. He was never sick, and thought going for an annual check up was silly.
His back was hurting in the fall of 1976, so he went to the doctor. The doctor looked at him, had him bend over to see if he could touch his toes. When he could he sent him home.
By this time his lung cancer, had developed into liver cancer. The doctor should have done more testing, but didn’t. He was given 6 months to a year to live. He lived only 2 months.
If the doctor had done even an x-ray, he could have detected his cancer. He left behind a wife and 3 children.

Elzear died at the age of 57 of stomach cancer. He left behind a wife and 10 children.

Uncle Leo died of cancer in 1980.

In December 1997, my Mother began not feeling right. She was having chest pain that went to her shoulder. She was adamant about not going to the doctor. We argued over her going. She later said that she knew the doctor would tell her she was dying. She went for a chest x-ray and though they said nothing, they treated her differently after they viewed the film. She knew without being told what was wrong. A day or so later, in his office, the doctor told her what she knew. She had lung cancer and was dying. The cancer was in the left lung and too close to the heart for surgery. She'd had it for some time undetected. When diagnosed it was inoperable, large, and probably spreading. The doctor gave her 3 months. She died March 27th, 1998 at home as she wished. She chose not to die in the hospital the way her Mother died.