Mae was the real "caregiver" in the family. She was an excellent cook from all of her experience at the Denker family hotel in Eldridge, Iowa. After Prohibition closed the Hotel and Saloon, Mae began work at the Parker Department store in Davenport. She lived a while at the Lend-A-Hand Club (for young women) there. After her father died while living with sister, Selma (Schlotfeldt)and Selma was widowed with a young son, Fay, Mae moved in with them in an apartment on East 15th Street and into a home at 2020 LeClair Street where Selma was able to establish an in-home beauty shop. During those years Fay came to view his Aunt Mae as a "second-mother" who helped him learn the alphabet (in English and German)and oversaw his activities and occasional young tantrums. She lived with them until Selma remarried in 1944. In keeping with her caregiver roll, she moved to California to be a housekeeper for a wealthy Pasadena family there. She was also near her brother, Bill and his wife, Donna who was a nurse there.
After Selma's 2nd huband, Paul Miller of West Des Moines became ill and moved from Davenport to West Des Moines with another young son, Robert Miller, Mae moved back with them to the Miller family farm in West Des Moines. She stayed with them through Paul's permanent hospitalization, farm sale, and Selma's move to another home-shop. She bacame the same wonderful, caring "second-mother" to Robert as well. She eventually moved back to California.
She died shortly after coming back to Des Moines in 1959 to be an honored family member at Fay's wedding to Janice Johnson of Murray, Iowa. It was an emotional departure for both Fay and Mae as he helped her on the train back to California. The both knew that, with her health, it was probably their last meeting. .. It was. When Selma received her effects from California, in her purse was a poem of appreciation Fay had sent her while he was away in the Air Force. They told her Mae had always carried it.

To Mae; 1953
Upon her, my scores of
childhood temper bursts
were kept in marks of blue.
And, no doubt, my many shortcomings
have also kept their score
upon her kindly heart.
I swear here, to her,
a debt also, that I cannot
repay in form of physical goods
but, in a worthy fulfillment of life.
To her many years and many words,
given to me in the light of
goodness and experience, I credit
much of my small knowledge of this life.
May any light I cast upon the world of good,
in smallest fraction repay you, Mae,
for the fuel you have so generously
heaped upon my flame of youth.
Happy Birthday. Fay