Say a prayer, send a card to Sharon

Sharon Surface, in better days, punching tape via keyboard

Retired printer Bob Pell provides this sad report on a former BJ employe who is now gravely ill in a West Virginia nursing home. Here is Bob’'s report:

Sharon Surface came to the BJ when we changed from the Linotype keyboard to a typewriter keyboard. She came about the same time as Regina White, Rita Stapleton and Ruth West, along with a couple others and I think she left in the late '70's or early '80's. She is now in a nursing home in West Virginia. I am not sure which one, but it is unlikely she would be aware of anyone trying to communicate with her. Following is an e-mail I received from her sister, Shelva Pettit.

Hi Bob,

Sharon is in bad shape. She can't walk or feed herself or care for herself in any way.. Our sister Hallie and I don't think she knows us every time we see her, but there are times she seems to know me . She doesn't talk...other than to answer a question with "yes" or "no ". She started having small strokes and then a massive one. This all started happening around 1990, beginning with uterine cancer. She is cancer free. It's the stroke that is the cause of her condition. The doctors told us about 5 years ago that she would not improve but get steadily worse which has been the case. It's hard on us to see her as she is and remember the way she was. I'm going to see her on Sunday and I shall mention your name to her and look for a reaction. Maybe she remembers you.

Take care, Shelva
Shelva Pettit
Phone: 1-304-765-7931

Blogger Plea: Say a prayer for Sharon– please. We also suggest it might cheer her up in this special Christmas season if all of us sent her a card. Please let us shower her with both. Send cards to:

Sharon Surface
c/o Shelva Pettit
625 Appalachian Corridor
Sutton, WV 26601