A Passing of the Torch.(in remembrance of Felicia Goeken)(Brief Article)(Column)(Obituary)

Those of you who have followed this column for any length of time may recognize my name. For the last year or so I helped my mother, Felicia Goeken, to compose this column. For the past 16 years I have worked with my mother in the ultimate grassroots project - - the Volunteer Identification Program (VIP).

My family lost my mother Christmas Eve morning. Dave Andrusko, the editor of NRL News, has eulogized Felicia in his lead editorial on page two.

My mother was 73 years old. She leaves a husband, George, seven children, 33 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren. As Dave explained, her loss leaves a void in the right to life movement and a hole in our hearts.

At her funeral our priest talked about "passing the torch." I could never match my mother's contributions, either to the Movement or elsewhere. But I will do my best to honor her memory and advance the cause of unborn babies by helping to assure that the VIP continues its essential work of recruiting pro-life champions from around this great nation.

As you could perhaps tell from the way Felicia wrote her columns, she was a toast mistress. My mother knew how to make a point in a pithy, down-to-earth way. She was also great at inspiring people to call, write, or e-mail the VIP office in Alton, Illinois.

She inspired me as well. I grew up in the Movement. I cannot imagine doing something else. My mother was an activist well before she became involved in the Movement. She chose to devote her life to this ...