Fern Alling – The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Nov. 23—Mike Mothershed paced around the house, using the paths of beige carpet cleared between piles of papers and clothes to scan rooms from floor to ceiling. Having found something to do, he returned to the living room, where 78-year-old Marlene sat neatly on the couch.
“Need to find you some new nine-volt batteries for your smoke detectors,” Mothershed said…