Mary Petrillose, the second child of immigrant Italian parents to be born in the United States, at birth had a death warrant hanging over her head.  A seven months preemie, Mary weighed three and one-half pounds.  The doctor was adamant, “This child will die.”

Concetta Petrilose, Mary’s mother, had other plans.  Placing Mary’s bare body in a shoebox lined with cotton batting her mother heated their iron stove and placed Mary’s tiny body on the door of the oven.

One hundred and four years later Mary is still proving that doctor’s diagnosis as being wrong!

My Comment:

I get to eat with Mary Harris several times each week and am intrigued by her supple mind, loving heart, and survival skills.  I’m enclosing some of her many talents for you to see.

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