Elderly Louisa woman, daughter making masks during pandemic

By Lilly Adkins
BSN Associate Editor

Doris Thornsberry, 81, of Louisa, and her daughter, Marsha Slone, are making masks during the coronavirus pandemic.

LOUISA — An 81-year-old Lawrence County woman who lost her husband on March 23 after 67 years of marriage has been pouring all her time into helping others by creating masks for people during the coronavirus crisis. Doris Thornsberry, a retired teacher, and her daughter, Marsha Slone, came up with the idea when the virus started. She has made more than 1,000 masks so far.“The idea began when all this virus started and the nursing home had to be closed to visitors,” Slone said. “Mom and I decided to help make the staff some masks as a thank you for taking care of Dad. They were wonderful to give us daily updates and FaceTime so Mom could see Dad. My dad was a resident there and had been there for several months due to his health issues.”Slone said that her father’s condition worsened after 12 days into the quarantine and that he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center in Louisa, where he passed away.“After that, mom decided to still make the masks and when we saw that many people needed them and were having issues with obtaining them. She decided to go thru her fabric supplies and begin making them for anyone who needed them in our community,” Slone said. “She was sad and lonely from missing my dad. They had been married 67 years. So, she thought it would help to keep her busy since none of the family or friends could visit her except me.”Slone said that after she posted on Facebook about what they were doing, they got tons of requests. They have made more than 1,000 masks so far, with her mother doing the majority of the work, sewing 10-12 hours a day to get them completed and to keep herself busy.“I have been helping, also her friend Brenda Muncy, and our friend Jason Helton helped some,” Slone said. “Zeb (Slone’s son) has helped me bag and tag all the orders. To maintain social distancing, I leave them on the porch at the shop for people to pick up their orders. Plus, we have mailed out dozens of them.”Slone has also helped her mother sew.Slone’s son is a Boy Scout, and she said they are always trying to do nice things for people in the community. He has done his part by stapling the bags that are finished and getting them ready for delivery, she said. “We have made them for the nursing home, Brown Foodservice drivers, all the school employees who are doing the feeding program, the post office employees, anyone with health issues who needed them, nurses and doctors as well as anyone else who needed them,” Slone said.  Slone said her mother is an amazing woman and that she and her father have always been her role model on how to live life. Helping others was always at the top of the list, she said.“Daddy would be so proud of this project,” Slone said. “It was just what Mom needed to deal with the loss of Daddy. It keeps her busy and that’s a good way to battle loneliness and sadness, knowing you can help others to be a little safer. She says she knows how dangerous it could be to get sick from it. She stays home and I do all her shopping for food and essential items. God gives us our abilities- it is up to us to use them to do good.”