Mary Jane Empson sits in her cozy Williamsburg suite in the Village of Taunton Mills, talking about a recent donation she and her family made in support of The Wilfred Schlegel Hope Fund. Before she gets to that, however, a bit of background is in order.
She talks about her love of the outdoors and the woods, hunting and fishing, riding ATVs through the trails and floating in quiet waters surrounding the family’s cottage at Effingham Lake. She talks of the love she held for her partner of 23 years, Ron Bowers, and the struggle she faced after his sudden passing earlier this year.
Her health had also taken a terrible turn not long before his, and loved ones came together to help navigate the turmoil that comes when hardship and unexpected turns in life mount. The Hope Fund is there for team members facing sudden twists of fate, she notes, and in her recalling of recent months, she can feel that pain.
Rose Lamb, who supports the Village of Taunton Mills as Senior Vice President of Operations with Schlegel Villages, is one of the many who would do anything for Mary Jane and Ron, for he was her biological father. They were reunited late in life when Rose was in her 30s, but their love was as deep as any, and Rose was able to see that Taunton Mills had a place for Ron and Mary Jane once they were able to move from hospital.
That time eventually came for Mary Jane, but sadly Ron never made it out of hospital. The closest he came was the celebration of his life held in the Town Hall at Taunton Mills, where Rose spoke beautifully about the love of family and the need for support during the hardest of times.
“We spent each and every day making up for lost time,” Rose said. “I gained a whole new family and many of them are here today. Ron was not only a cherished father, but he was a loving partner and devoted friend.”
That is why Mary Jane chose to offer donations made in Ron’s name to the Hope Fund.
“Ron likes to give back and Ron likes to help people,” Mary Jane says, still speaking as if he were at her side, like always. “I do, too, but he seems, for a big tough guy, he’s got such a big heart, and he likes to pay back to help, and he really needed help and so did I.”
To be able to look ahead and know that out of Ron’s tragedy, those who helped them may one day be helped in return, “feels really good,” Mary Jane says.
“It’s a warm wonderful feeling to help people.”
Click here for more information on the Wilfred Schlegel Hope Fund
