[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 31 (Thursday, March 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN HONOR AND REMEMBRANCE OF WINIFRED MARY ``MA'' DUNCAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 11, 2004

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of 
my dear friend, Winifred Mary ``Ma'' Duncan--devoted mother, 
grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, mentor and community activist, 
whose life deeply affected the lives of countless individuals, 
including my own.
  Mrs. Duncan was an unwavering source of strength for her family, as 
she raised and supported seven children on her own. Armed with a strong 
sense of determination, faith, and inner resolve, Mrs. Duncan faced the 
challenges of single parenthood with grace and focus, and was a 
consistently loving role model for her children, and for all the 
children in the neighborhood.
  Beyond caring for her family, Mrs. Duncan remarkably found the time 
and energy to volunteer within the community. In the late sixties and 
seventies, she served as a Council Member for the City of Valley View. 
During that time, she delivered Christmas and Easter baskets to 
families in need. Throughout the seventies and eighties, Mrs. Duncan 
served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Merrick House 
Settlement and the Tremont Free Clinic. For the past 30 years, Mrs. 
Duncan was an active member of the St. Augustine Parish Council, St. 
Augustine Hunger Council, St. Augustine Seniors, St. Vincent DePaul 
Society and the Cleveland Catholic Blind Community.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and remembrance 
of Mrs. Winifred Mary ``Ma'' Duncan. As we deeply mourn her passing, we 
also joyously celebrate her life. ``Ma'' Duncan built a foundation of 
love and security for her children, and for the world around her. Her 
sense of charity, love for others and giving nature encircled her 
family, encircled the neighborhood, and uplifted our entire community. 
I offer my deepest condolences to her children: Valerie, Charles, 
James, Wayne, Gerald, Kathleen and Rosemary; and to her grandchildren, 
great-grandchildren, and to her extended family and many friends. The 
wondrous affect on the lives she touched is immeasurable, and ``Ma'' 
Duncan's beautiful legacy--a legacy reflecting giving, compassion and 
love, will live on forever within the memory and heart of everyone who 
knew and loved her well. The way ``Ma'' Duncan lived her life has given 
light to our community and has raised our corner of the world to a 
better place.

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