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Ursula B. Masquelier July 31, 1939 - November 2, 2019 On the day before Father's day June 15th, Ursula experienced what had all the symptoms of a stroke. She suddenly lost her ability to speak, and had lost most muscle control on her left side. I quickly loaded her into my car and went to the Kaiser Medical Center which is less than fifteen minutes from our home. As I left, I phoned the hospital's Emergency Room to tell them that a possible stroke victim was en route. I arrived at the hospital within 25 minutes of the first symptoms of the event and was met by a stroke team. After doing an initial examination, they immediately took her to do a CAT-Scan and an MRI-Scan to make sure that there was no bleeding in the area of the brain. Instead they discovered an aggressive Brain tumor in the area of the brain that controls speech and fine motor movements the two primary symptoms of Ursula's event. We met with both a Neurologist and a Neurosurgeon in the following days. Both said that surgery in the area was very risky. It could give us important information about the nature of the tumor. However, it could also result in severe damage to the brain itself. When faced with the risks and the likelihood of a prolonged period of recovery, Ursula said that she did not want to end her days on Earth hooked up to machines and monitors in a hospital. She wanted to die, at home, in our own bed, and with me at her side. She entered the in-home program of palliative care administered by Hinds Hospice. July 31st. They have provided us with the resources we needed to give Ursula the kind of in-home care she needed as she prepared for the new life that is promised to those who seek to follow Christ. She regained her ability to speak and her ability to control her movements that followed her June 15th seizure. However, due to the aggressive nature of the brain tumor (it continued to double in size every five weeks). By late October she could only engage in yes or no dialogues and could not control movement on her right side. On the morning of Thursday, October 31, Ursula entered into an extended period of sleep that continued until the moment she died, on Saturday, November 2nd, 2019, at 5:25 pm. As she had wished, she died at home, in our bed with me at her side and our two children, Wendy Klippenstein and Paul Masquelier III, at our bedside. A Memorial Service will be held in December at University Presbyterian Church in Fresno. The specific day and time are yet to be finalized. In lieu of flowers we would suggest that donations be made to one of the following organizations or to a charity of your own choice ; Most of us live in safe and secure homes. Habitat for Humanity extends that opportunity to families who might otherwise be left to dwell in substandard housing. Learn more about Habitat for Humanity. Ursula spent most of her professional career working on diagnostic testing to identify the presence of viruses. We recognize the importance of efforts of Rotary International, whose members have raised billions of dollars and are nearing the eradication of Polio worldwide. To learn more about how you can be a part of those efforts, click on End Polio Now.

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Ursula Masquelier

July 31, 1939 - November 2, 2019