"Mother Knows Best" Contest Winner announced

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The best job in the world — being a mom

Congratulations to JoAnn Winterbauer of McDonald and her mother, Blanche McLaughin of Youngstown, who are the winners of The Vindicator’s ‘Mother Knows Best’ contest.

They have won a drawing for a $100 gift certificate for dinner at Bruno’s Restaurant in Boardman.

Her home has been a haven for many over the years. Her own mother lived with her throughout my mother and father’s married life and until my grandmother’s death.

My great-aunt took shelter there after a broken hip left her unable to live alone. My mother’s sister lived alone and moved in with Mom to escape the loneliness.

Mom now shares her home with my sister Rosie, who is Mom’s guardian and caregiver. Not that Mom needs much care; at 951/2, she still outruns us to the door of the casino or bingo hall and just recently said she wished she could go roller skating with her grandchildren.

She still insists that she could drive to Mountaineer with no trouble at all (Thank God she failed the vision test at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles!).

Mom has survived the Great Depression, the death of her father at a very young age, the death of her husband, also at a very young age, the loss of all of her brothers and sisters and two grandsons, and a lifetime of narcolepsy, yet she still keeps a happy outlook.

She has raised six children, has 26 grandchildren and we have lost count of the great-grandchildren.

Mom’s biggest dream (Yes, she still has dreams!) is to get on “Cash Explosion” and win big money to help out her grandchildren.

My mother is an amazing woman.

Thank you,

JoAnn Winterbauer, McDonald about her mother, Blanche McLaughin of Youngstown