I haven't seen "Mrs. Hedden" in probably 30 years. Last time was probably when my mom and I visited in Dallas in 1983. But I have some early childhood memories that stand out strongly in my mind. I remember once, at their house in Stuart, getting ready to eat dinner with the family during a sleepover I was having with Theresa. Mrs. Hedden called us two girls down before everyone else under the guise of needing our help. But really she wanted to give us first dibs, because when those three boys and Mr. Hedden got to the table, they could make quick work out of a whole mountain of food. I just remember watching her at the table laughing, her head cocked back, fully savoring the joy of having her family together at the dinner table, regaling the day while devouring the home-cooked meal. Her laugh was no quiet affair. It made you take notice! When the dinner was done, everyone would go back outside to work again. It was maybe a 1/2 hour of relative solitude. Well, solitude for the humans, those stupid monkeys had other ideas, but that is a story for another day. Years later, after my father died (and about four years after Theresa had passed), we really didn't have dinner around the table on a regular basis—mostly out of necessity because my mom was working hard to keep us afloat. But now, with my own family, we eat together most nights. I sometimes tell my kids about "dinner at the Heddens." I also make sure to get in a good belly laugh whenever we can. So even though I haven't seen Mrs. Hedden in years, I always admired her. She was quite a lady. May she rest in peace. And I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to Sharon, Jamie, Donnie and Billie and all the grandkids and great grandkids. Mitchelle (Worden) Stephenson Annapolis MD