[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 118 (Thursday, September 28, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S9459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      EULOGY TO MAUREEN MANSFIELD

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, Mike Mansfield's eulogy to his wife, 
Maureen, this past Tuesday at her funeral was simply beauty. It was 
vintage Mansfield--and any other comment would mar its eloquence. On 
behalf of the distinguished Senator from Alaska, Mr. Stevens, and 
myself, I ask unanimous consent that it be included in the Record.
  There being no objection, the eulogy was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

   Eulogy for Maureen Mansfield Delivered by Senator Mike Mansfield, 
                           September 26, 2000

     1929
       We met--She was 24 and I was 26.
       She was a high school teacher; I was a miner in the Copper 
     mines of Butte.
       She was a college graduate; I had not finished the 8th 
     grade.
       She urged me to achieve a better education. I followed her 
     advice and with her help, in every way, we succeeded.
       She took me out of the mines and brought me to the surface.
     1932
       We were married in Missoula during the great depression.
       She gave up her teaching job.
       She cashed in on her insurance.
       She brought what little savings she had and, she did it all 
     for me.
     1940
       Maureen was very politically oriented--I was not.
       She urged me to run for Congress.
       We campaigned together.
       We finished next to last.
       The day after the election she put us on the campaign trail 
     for the next election and we won.
     1942
       Maureen was largely responsible for our election to the 
     House of Representatives.
       Almost every summer she drove herself and our daughter, 
     Anne, to Missoula--5 days and 3,000 miles.
       Why? To campaign for us and in
     1952
       She got us elected to the U.S. Senate.
     1977
       We decided--after talking it over, to retire.
       We did not owe anything to anybody--except the people of 
     Montana--nor did anyone owe anything to us.
     1977
       President Carter asked me if we would be interested in 
     becoming the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Maureen thought we 
     should accept and we did and when President Reagan called and 
     asked us to stay, we did for almost 12 years.
     1988
       Around Xmas Maureen almost literally forced me to go to the 
     Naval Hospital at Yokosuka, which sent me to the Army 
     Hospital at Honolulu, which sent me directly to Walter Reed 
     Army Hospital where I had heart bypass and prostate 
     operations. Again it was Maureen.
     1989
       We came home.
     1998
       Illness began to take its toll on Maureen.
       On September 13, 2000, less than 2 weeks ago, we observed--
     silently--our 68th Wedding Anniversary.
       Maureen and I owe so much to so many that I cannot name 
     them all but my family owes special thanks to Dr. William 
     Gilliland, and his associates, who down through the last 
     decade did so much to alleviate Maureen's pain and suffering 
     at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital--one of the truly great 
     medical centers in our country.
       We also owe special thanks to Gloria Zapata, Ana Zorilla 
     and Mathilde Kelly Boyes and Ramona the ``round the 
     clockers'' who took such loving care of Maureen for the last 
     two years on a 24 hour day, seven day week basis.


                           maureen mansfield

       She sat in the shadow--I stood in the limelight.
       She gave all of herself to me.
       I failed in recognition of that fact until too late--
     because of my obstinacy, self centeredness and the like.
       She sacrificed much almost always in my favor--I sacrificed 
     nothing.
       She literally remade me in her own mold, her own outlook, 
     her own honest beliefs. What she was, I became. Without her--
     I would have been little or nothing. With her--she gave 
     everything of herself. No sacrifice was too little to ignore 
     nor too big to overcome.
       She was responsible for my life, my education, my teaching 
     career, our elections to the House and Senate and our 
     selection to the Embassy to Japan.
       She gave of herself that I could thrive, I could learn, I 
     could love, I could be secure, I could be understanding.
       She gave of her time to my time so that together we could 
     achieve our goals.
       I will not say goodby to Maureen, my love, but only ``so 
     long'' because I hope the Good Lord will make it possible 
     that we will meet at another place in another time and we 
     will then be together again forever.

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