Kristen Hildebrandt

Jennifer, my mom, was usually a pleasant person. I don't remember much of her, for she died when I was young, but I do know this: her last 6-8 years were long and hard. Mom was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gherig's disease) at a young age. Throughout her last years, her strength slowly deteriorated to the point when, at last, her vital bodily organs shut down. When she left us, my brother, about five years old, and I only 7 (the funeral was on my eighth birthday,) she, herself, was only thirty years old. The average age for an ALS patient to even start showing symptoms is around 50, and usually they don't suffer as long as she did. She had lost the ability to speak, write, blink, and the use of all of the limbs, etc. that we all take for granted. By God's grace, she passed peacefully in her sleep. Rest in peace Mom, and God be with you. See: Jennifer Gail (Oldfield) Hildebrandt: Obituary.