Blue Slipper Stories
Widows’ Guild Newsletter ̵ Fall 2021
“I enjoy telling people what it’s truly like here,” Mary said. “It’s a way to meet people in ‘our’ shoes and try to help. The first time I called a lady in Florida, she had just lost her husband a little less than a year prior. We talked for about two and a half hours. She poured out to me. It meant a lot. We still talk monthly.” Mary also connected with Helen Becker, widow of Brother Norman Becker, Vaux Lodge No. 406, Hamburg, who eventually moved to Masonic Village at Elizabethtown in January. Helen was unfamiliar with the Widows’ Guild before getting a call from Mary.
A Blossoming FRIENDSHIP Life doesn’t always go as planned. Having a good friend, who has faced similar experiences, can help make unexpected hurdles manageable.
“My motto is ‘Blossom where you’re planted,’” Mary Alban said. The phrase keeps
her grounded even through the rough moments, like when her husband, Brother Thomas Alban, White Rose Lodge No. 706, York, was diagnosed with early onset dementia and passed away in 2015. It also motivates her to help others blossom. Mary learned about the Masonic Widows’ Guild and was presented a blue slipper pin by Brother Alvin Blitz, chief gift planning officer for the Masonic Charities. She attended breakfast socials through the group and also met Linda Jackson, relations administrator, who mentioned volunteer opportunities. Mary knew this was her new calling. Volunteering was “my thing,” she said, having put in over 1,000 hours at a hospital and soup kitchen in New Mexico near where she lived before moving to Masonic Village at Elizabethtown. Linda suggested Mary could contact widows who are interested in moving to Masonic Village but haven’t done so yet. With group events put on hold due to COVID-19, phone calls are the best way to keep the group connected.
“I came during the pandemic and didn’t see anyone for weeks as I was quarantined,” Helen said of her move because of COVID. “Then, Mary appeared. She is a lovely person. She’s thoughtful and easy to talk to and has been a friend ever since. “New people enhance your life, and hopefully, we can revive the Widows’ Guild and make many new friendships.” Helen met her husband after his return from World War II, and then he was recalled for Korea after their marriage. “As so many others, I now know what it is to lose a loved one you spent your life with, and in that way can help others as they share their stories – stories we can relate to,” she said, “With that experience, we can help each other, make new friends and make our lives at Masonic Village pleasant and rewarding.”
While remembering their pasts, the women look forward to what the future holds for their friendship and lives together at Masonic Village. “I feel I have much to offer,” Helen added. “We’re making new memories here,” Mary said.