Peggy Bridwell

Peggy Valeria (Cowan) Bridwell was born May 16, 1932 in Frederick, OK to Ansel & Dorothy (Nanney) Cowan. She passed from this life on May 14, 2011 at the age of 78 in Tulsa, OK, just two days before she would turn 79 years old. Supposedly a woman never tells her age. In Peggy's case she was proud of it. Her great loves were her children and her grandchildren as would be any mother. She did have two more loves that truly defined her life - her husband Ben and nursing. Of the latter, thousands upon thousands of times in her life she would hear her name called simply as - nurse. For this writer, she was called Mom.

Just a week after she exited this life my father James Benjamin (Ben) Bridwell did the same on May 21, 2011. They were married 56 years. They up held their wedding vows 'For Better Or For Worse' and accomplished what many only dream of - they lived and left this life together.

Statistically it is said that it is not unusual for a person to change their professions at least three times in their life time. My mother was very happy doing one and only one thing - being a 'registered nurse'. I don't know if this was a life long desire or not. She grew up on a farm in Snyder, OK where even I, as a very young child would come to understand what an out house was. She knew what hard work was and was never afraid of it. She was a farm girl and proud of it. She came from very good stock. But looking back it does seem to be a stretch to want to become a nurse - especially knowing she would have to travel a long distance away from the one home and life style she grew up in.

After graduating from high school she traveled to Tulsa, OK to make Saint John's Hospital (now know as St. John's Medical Center) her second home. There she would live in the Saint John's Hospital Dorms (yep just like college) and would live and train there to become what she dreamed to be. Even after she retired from active nursing she was still volunteering at Saint John's up until the end. And truthfully, she never retired. The last months of her life were being a nurse to her most precious patient, her husband who had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Ironically, he would not be first to end their union together. My mother, a nurse and an angel to others, who stood by many a patient helping to ease their exit from their own life would herself pass away in a private room in Saint John's - her home.

Truthfully, I don't know of many people who have stayed with their first chosen profession their whole life. Heck, I don't know many people that can say they have stayed with their first chosen mate their whole life either. My mom was special that way; especially if you knew her mate - my dad, whom she met on a blind date. Many would agree - 'That's a lady that understands the meaning of dedication!'

No doubt, growing up on a farm was the reason for her love of the outdoors. Believe it or not she was still working in her gardens up to the end. And we're not talking a couple of hours in the morning. Oh no. She liked putting in a full day outside in the heat; the hotter, the better. This part of her also explains her great interest or perhaps her obsession in butterflies. It is here where irony steps in again. The nurse in her was the reason she was an organ/tissue donor. Days after she was processed for extraction of what would help others to either improve the quality of their life or simply save a life I received a package in the mail. It was from Lifeshare Of Oklahoma. It was not the tearful message from the organization that kept me speechless. It was the pewter medallion with the inscription of Give Love, Give Life, Give Hope on it. In the middle of the medallion was a butterfly.

Of course we will all meet our maker one day. For my mother she was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Dorothy Ann Bridwell; her sister, Rilla Hickerson; and her brother, David Cowan. Those whom in time will meet up with her are her husband, James Benjamin "Ben" Bridwell (departed on May 21, 2011); me and her daughter-in-law, Sandy Bridwell; her brother, Ansel Cowan; her son-in-law, Robert Hallman; and her grandchildren, Kyle Bridwell, Erin Bridwell and Laura Hallman.

A combined CELEBRATION for both Peggy and Ben will be held on Friday, June 17 at 2:00PM at Ninde Brookside Funeral Home. If you plan to join us we hope you will consider sharing with everyone a moment that either of them (or both) touched you; profound or funny. Just like in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting where you would find my parents often (especially my dad), you may remain anonymous to everyone; but you won't be able to stop the feeling of compassion and friendship from all of the soles present.

My mom's passing was sudden and unexpected and my dad's passing was slow and inevitable. There was no solace in either case. But I do take comfort that they lived for each other and left life together. For those who know me as someone that has spent his whole life on the stage in one way or another, you can understand it when I say - "Standby for final bows - main curtain out - main curtain in - great show everyone, good night."

Profoundly Remembered And Loved By Her Son

Matthew Wayne Bridwell