Who was Carleen Gann?

Carleen Gann (Hensley) was born in Gainesville Texas on March 19, 1965 and she died September 25th, 2011 in Bakersfield California at Mercy Hospital.  She had been sick for a long time; having trouble breathing mostly and the doctors couldn't seem to help her.  She went into the hospital emergency room around six times or so in the last two months of her life.  She had test after test and no doctor seemed to find the problem even though she could barely eat anything and usually threw up whatever she did eat.  Her life was so difficult the last few months.  And it didn't help that her own daughter would not return her phone calls. 

Anyway, trying not to be bitter here but I loved Carleen very much.  Whatever hurt her, well, it hurt me too.  She was an important part of my life.  I guess you could say that I was Carleen's mother-in-law because she was engaged to my daughter.  They would have been married if same sex couple marriages were legal instead of making it legal and then taking it away again.  But really, Carleen was my best friend.  I used to joke that it was sure nice that my daughter had gone out and found a friend for me!  LOL

Carleen moved in with my daughter and me and my daughters' three sons at the end of August 2008.  We became a very tight family unit.  There were six of us; three adults, three kids and we had three animals (one for each adult).  Our one dog, the first one we got is Rosie.  She's really a family dog but she sleeps with me.  The next pet we took in was a kitten, Ash Cat.  When Carleen moved in, he claimed her as his person.  He was supposed to be my daughters' cat but she found her own dog, a small stray she named Trixie.   We were a perfect family unit; one adult per kid and animal.  Losing Carleen has hurt our family so much; we are weaker without her.  We are sad all the time now.  We cry a lot.  Even our animals know she's gone.

Carleen loved the color pink.  She loved butterflies and gangster movies.  She loved Dr. Pepper and Lipton Green Tea.  She loved deviled eggs.  Mostly though, Carleen loved my daughter Shannon.  Carleen said that she was done; she had Shannon and it was forever.  Sometimes she was even a bit irritating because she was always saying how much she loved Shannon.  I even started joking around; whenever Carleen would say I love you to Shannon; I would yell, I love you too!  LOL  It used to irritate her sometimes but like I told her, I heard someone say I love you and I HAD to say I love you too (and usually pretty darn loudly!).  It became a family joke.

I can't even begin to say how much I personally miss Carleen.  I can not believe she is gone.  She was supposed to be with us forever.  My own grief is so overwhelming but that can't even compare to the grief that my daughter is feeling.  She is swamped with her love for Carleen and her feelings of loss.  She doesn't know how we are going to be able to live without her; well neither do I.  I know we have to, at least for the sake of the kids but I have to tell you; life is very, very hard without Carleen.  We loved her so much and we will never stop loving and missing her.

This blog will be all about Carleen; always.  Sometimes I, Teresa, will post and other times my daughter will be the one posting.  We want everyone to know what a wonderful person Carleen was plus we want to remember her forever and what better place for that, than the internet.

                                                    Carleen and my daughter Shannon.