The day my Dad said, “Get me out of here!” … June 29, 2010
I’ll never forget when he said, “Get me out of here!”
This photo was taken by Jonathon Byus of my father, Ronald Richard Kirkwood & myself on June 29, 2010. I had been denied visits and phone calls to him by Mary Catherine Hackbirth Kirkwood (unsure of legal name) * for several months.
Before the court ruled in the guardianship case, Judge Joseph Phillips, of Cedar County Court, allowed me to go to the property where my father was, 20515 S Hwy 245 Fair Play, MO and I was told to take photos, video, & audio record of the entire property.
Elizabeth V. Rohrs, of Douglas Haun & Heidemann, & Mercedes Watson came to the property as well; however did not remain for the entire time.
There is nothing on Earth that is worse than not being able to be by the ones you love and care about most when they need you most.
I was so GRATEFUL to just see my Dad.
I love you Dad! I know in my heart he knows I haven’t and will not give up on him.More to come from this visit....
Posted on May 28, 2011, in Dad, Family, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Ron Kirkwood, Ronald Richard Kirkwood and tagged Case No: 10CD-PR00059, Cedar County Missouri, Dad, Elder Abuse, Elizabeth V. Rohrs, Family, Guardian ad lidem, Guardianship, Guardianships & Conservatorships, June 29 2010, Mary C. Kirkwood, Mary Catherine Kirkwood, Mary Hackbirth, Mary Hackbirth Kirkwood, Mercedes Watson, Patrice A. Philippus, Rami McTavish, Ron Kirkwood, Ronald Richard Kirkwood. Bookmark the permalink. 20 Comments.
Lark E. Kirkwood
Elder Advocates 
So Sorry to read about your dad’s spouse not letting you see your dad..So backwards. What your dad needed most in life is the support and love from his daughter, family and freinds. Your suppose to put aside your differences and help them heal. Love is a powerful and the best medicine in the whole wide world. My heart aches Lark. Don’t give up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lark,
I love you… I don’t always take the time to comment on everything you post, but I read ALL of it. I am so sorry about your daddy. Just know that there is a special place in Hell for the monsters that did this to him. Also know that I am always here for you, and I will help you take down these motherf*@%ers all over he world if it’s the last thing I do…..
LikeLike
This is his spouse. Mary Hackbirth Kirkwood. Lark had the opportunity to help her father when he was alone and walking to the store by himself , she slept for days at a time. Where were her so called friends and family then. Richard Glazier stated that his daughter came by and helped Ron to the store. Ron did not say these things to her that she claims because home health was in the room with them. This was after the threat she made on my life that my attorney suggested she be watched. She took a ear phone and stuck it in his ear and he took his arm and threw it. She continued to insist that he put it in his ear. She is the one that was cruel. The biggest smile he had was when I told him that her Power of Attorney was taken away in court. He was happy to be rid of her. She had no right to force him to do anything. The reason she didn’t see her father was because she wouldn’t work and buy a car like most every body has to do to survive and keep their jobs. She lied to everyone about where he was living. She told everyone that he lived in Oklahoma City when in fact he was here. If she couldn’t get money from me to go party she wouldn’t come up. She would stay a half an hour and be on her way to Springfield to her “friends” homes to party. The only time she got upset was when I had to quit my job and care for him and couldn’t pay for her to live at his home for nothing any longer. The payments for the home came from my paycheck. She didn’t work and didn’t do anything. Oklahome City sited the house and yard and said they would add it to Ron’s estate. Ron with a stroke kept the yard immaculate. She had tons and tons of people here inspecting me continually, she did all in her power to constantly harassments and even my life threatened. She refused to allow anyone to appraise Ron’s home. I have the Veteran’s Primary Care to testify that Ron was immaculate and cared for. They came to the home for years and checked him. His swallowing decreased because of his vessels in his neck stopped him from swallowing. She accused me of making him dehydrated. She is not very smart and if someone tried to explain the medical issues he was dealing with her answer was “first do no harm” the harm was done when he had Brain Cancer. The rest was care from his decreasing ability to live past the long effects of his radiation to his brain. He couldn’t swallow any longer. He came here because he couldn’t count on her. She caused my sister to die because of her filming my sister’s room who had just moved here. She went into her room and filmed her animals that had just come from Colorado and her belongings that had not been settled. She was ill and died of heart failure a week after Lark and her boyfriend were here as my sister ran her out of the house, I was in the kitchen giving her time with her father. She is and has said so many cruel things about me but I was there 24/7 while she did her party time, came here for about 15 minutes and off to party. She now acts like she cared. She is guilty of not doing what she could for her dad and the rest of the world helped where she and her other family including her mother who took his business and his name from him and left him on food stamps to survive. That is cruelity to adults. No car, no money, his business with his name taken like he didn’t even exist. Maybe that is why he stayed here rather then trust them to care for him. She had years to care for him and never did and that is why he decided to come up here and stay. She has nothing correct about my life. She has taken an annulled marriage of 3 months and turned it into something sick as usual for her. The only thing that happened is while I was at work he cleaned out all my garage and tools and left. She stole my identity, called police, called Social Services, called anyone she could because she was afraid she wasn’t going to get his property. They came and I welcomed them. I had nothing to hide. Ron was the love of my life and I made a promise to him and kept the promise. She wanted his tubes pulled a year and a half before he died while in the hospital. I asked him and he said I want to live so we went home. She wanted him dead, she even made him wait outside of the hospital with me as she promised to take us home but left and went to party again. She is a liar and as her boyfriend stated after he came here remember Del or can you not get (anyone to care about you because you are so sick and twisted) “you need a psychiarist” and broke up with her after she went on to him about how horrible I was. How about your arrest record for transporting drugs Lark. Or did you sweep that under the rug also Where were you when your dad needed you? How many times did you take his wallet and help yourself to his money. How come a year after your great dane died was there still poop in the basement from him. How come no one could come to your home and check. NEVER. You told everyone so many lies and caused your father so much pain that he didn’t want to go on. You are a play actor and will abuse these great people who really need to check on the elderly to grandstand because you can’t even get out of bed to go to a job. You are lazy and crazy. Now how does it feel to be called names on a public forum??? Enjoy your Karma. These people you mention in Missouri did their jobs. You are just angry because all of your accusations are unfounded. You even sent the Prosecuting Attorney and Sheriff to my home while I was bathing your dad
to find the dead body of your father. Try and ask them how very stupid that was and how your dad knew all that you were doing. How they in front of him while he was getting a bath asked if he was deceased. Your father was a lot smarter than you gave him credit for. He was NEVER diagnosed with Alzheimers. You showed a picture of him after his stroke to make him look like he wasn’t quite there. He didn’t have it. You are a con artist and would do and say anything about any subject just for a sick platform. You showed pictures of me with a swollen face and an abcessed tooth. You showed little Stevie Wonder, the little Chichiuaua that was blind and lived only because your dad named him and loved him. He would buy 10 lbs of carrots to feed the horses. He would lie down and take a picture of the pigs. He loved it here. He loved you both but neither of you had any time for him. Brent would only forget that his father spent a lifetime taking pictures and if his father would critique his work, Ron would get his feeling hurt because Brent wouldn’t even answer him back. “Say what you want about me but for God’s sake and God is my witness, he slept in the hospital bed and I on the couch 24/7. You mentioned you didn’t want to change his pants. Well that was part of it. You had to really love someone to care for them and obviously you now care , now that it is too late and everyone has humored you in the past but EVERYONE is sick of you. Another ploy to attack me is coming in June, one year from the death of your father. Keep it up I will survive. I have nothing to hide. This was not said before as I didn’t want you to force them into putting him in the Nursing Home that he was so terrified of I am sorry didn’t know what I was getting into but Ron knew what he was doing all the time. I have no regrets and no issues with anyone questioning anything I have ever done.
Mrs. Ronald Richard Kirkwood
LikeLike
The nursing home resident’s rights include the right for an individual to be visited by family 24×7. What cruel inhumane person would deny a father the right to be visited by his daughter. I is elder abuse to do so. Shame of this person who denied you the right to be by your father’s side. He will always be with you in your heart. Never ever ever give up. We need people like you Lark who will take a stand for vulnerable citizens who have no one else to stand up for them. Your father would be so proud and I am sure he is looking down and beaming that he has a daughter who has so much love in her heart that she would reach out to help others. Hang in there
LikeLike
Dearest Mary Katherine Hackbirth Mctavish Pryor McDonald Younger Kirkwood
You mam are the essence of everything we as family members of elderly fear. You are what we have nightmares about. However, I must thank you for being so kind as to publicly spell out just the kind of venomous rhetoric that the low life people just like yourself might attempt to use. You are scared and understandably. If I were in your shoes I would surely be scared myself. It is only a few months away that your lies, abuse, conspirators, and overal sickening life of marring elderly veterans just to see them to their demise will be exposed to the world. Sleep well while you still can because your day of reckoning is fast approaching.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not sure what to say to you Mary only that you are wrong. Putting ear buds in one ear is no crime. My husband rather enjoyed it since he is being isolated by his so-called protectors. If you cared at all for this man you would not have done the things you did. Larks father was very lucky to have his daughter in life when he needed her, good or bad doesn’t matter.
My husband’s kids left him a long time ago, even before his accident because of a divorce. Familes are suppose to unite, put aside the differences when your loved needs you the most. Fighting only makes it worse and is very hard on your loved one. Ron went to his grave with who knows what in his heart.
My husband has no one supporting him when he needs it the most. It is their choice, no one is forcing them to stay away, they have free association, free visits when ever they want. They do not excercise this. I however am deemed the bad one, like you perhaps but I am not fighting with my husbands kids. I do not care about the money but they are the ones who come sniffing around for it.
Life is more importnat than money. I hope you change your heart, that is what Ronald would want. Blessings Sara
LikeLike
“I have no regrets and no issues with anyone questioning anything I have ever done.” Is one of the most self damning sentences I have ever read. I see self-importance but not based on actual or humanitarian achievements.
Everyone else is wrong – now that really is a classic. Such displayed symptoms, and the word is chosen wisely, show an emotional need to justify the crimes and therefore needs the victim’s affirmation (respect, gratitude and love) and whose ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim.
Karma – what goes around – comes around.
LikeLike
Mary,
People like you dont last long where I come from. Your the kind of person who gets dragged behind a Chevy on a dirt road in west Texas. Ive threatened the lives of two care takers of my grandmother just to make sure they know I will end theirs if they were someone like you and hear me out, if you were in my reach I would be sure to end yours. Ide rather serve time knowing it was right than knowing you could have done this to someone or anyone else.You disgust me and you are a lieing, evil, and screwed woman. Justice will be served and you know it. Your obviously scared and insane and I pray to God you suffer.
Aaron M. Lynn
LikeLike
Mary Hackbirth Pryor and whatever the hell else you decide to call yourself, with the exception of Kirkwood, have you heard that orange is the new black? And I say with the exception of Kirkwood because from the little I could bring myself to read from your bogus comment and from what I’ve not only heard but have found out myself concerning you as a person, I don’t feel you are near worthy enough to use that name. Not only did you play such a major part in the abuse and neglect and eventual death of the man you so loved and cherished, but you are a disgrace to humanity. You blame Lark for his lack of care? Where the hell were you when he was fighting for his life? Because she was out there doing everything in her power to make sure you did not and could not harm him and to try and get him the care you did not nor would not provide. Oh were you out taking care of the pigs and horses? Some wife and guardian you made. I feel sorry for anyone who’s crossed your path in the past and may ever do so in the future, especially Ronald Kirkwood. I really do hope orange is your color, because you deserve nothing more than to spend the rest of your days in jail. And I’m sure you’re well aware of how they would treat a woman such as yourself. I’d be saying my prayers if I were you, However, Im sure you’re out there on the internet with another fake name and history to fool some other sick and elderly man to “love and cherish til death do you part”.
LikeLike
One last thing Mary.. “I have nothing to hide”
While you may try to convince the public that’s true, we all know, including yourself that you have everything to lose. And you will.
LikeLike
It is abundantly clear the love that you have for your Father. The woman who has chosen to abuse your Father by isolating him from his daughter is a criminal and should be treated as such. The archaic laws that are in place that allow the nursing homes to look the other way at this neglect and abuse are beyond comprehension. May God be with us all.
LikeLike
I love you Susan! Our Dad’s would have really loved each other a lot. Someday we will all be together again. 🙂
LikeLike
Mary,
My Mom had a “law” guardian and her name was Mary also. Isn’t that interesting? Mary Giordano, Franchina and Giordano in Garden City, New York. She claimed that I “violated” the judge’s orders concerning my Mom, she claimed that I upset my Mom by discussing the guardianship, she claimed that I spent more time with my Mom than what she deemed allowable, she claimed, along with Judge Joel Asarch of the Nassau County Supreme court in Mineola, that I beleived I would be the best guardian for my Mom and that my Mom loved Mary!! Mary also claimed that my Mom WANTED to be locked up in an assisted living facility in Massapequa, New York, that it was her choice. Mary claimed that it would be too upsetting for my Mom to talk to her children or see her family and that she needed to be LOCKED UP in the facility for Thanksgiving as well because if she went out she would not want to come back. Does that make sense to you, Mary??? Oh, and by the way, she charged my Mom’s account $53,000 FOR A 30 DAY FORCED IMPRISONMENT!!
Mary claimed that she NEVER saw a case where there were so many aides moved in and out of one of her “ward’s” homes AND she stated IN OPEN COURT that the reason for that was because Diane Wilson did not get along with any of them!!! Mary refused to allow my Mom to attend her only great gradndaughter’s christening. The reason? It was scheduled on the same day she locked her up in the assisted living facility and it was “too late” to make those arrangements. What arrangements? For me to pick her up? Mary claimed that she had no idea where over $15,000 worth of Mom’s jewelry disappeared to….hmmmm. Mary claimed that Mom was better off living in a nursing home WHERE SHE DID NOT WANT TO BE OR NEED TO BE rather than living with me 24/7. Mary REFUSED to allow my Mom to have her clothing, her personal possessions, her UNDERWEAR. I had to go to court to ask for her warm clothing, her SWEATERS! Can you imagine??? BUT, despite the fact that the judge “ordered” that she be allowed to have “some” of her warm clothing, do you want to know what happened? Mary’s representative, Sue Cordero, and Mom’s GAL, Jamie Butchin of the MHLS in East Meadow, NY, picked up the clothes from Mom’s house (which was locked up by Mary) and PUT THE CLOTHES IN A CLOSET IN MARY’s OFFICE!! She REFUSED to give them to my Mom!!! WHY???????
You see, Mary, Mary Giordano lied about me, lied about my Mom, lied in court. I have proof, I have witnesses. My Mom gave up hope. I fought hard for her, did everything I could to save her. Her freedom was only 12 days away, 12 days until I had guardianship…..Mom gave up hope…she could not hang in there anymore.
This just a small smaple of Mom’s abusive treatment.
So Mary, I KNOW you are lying. I have been lied about concerning my Mom by these horrific people on every level. I believe EVERY WORD Lark has said and I am behind her ONE THOUSAND PLUS percent…just like we all are….and I will help her get justice for her beloved Dad, just like I will get justice for my Mom.
You see, Mary, love is all there is. There is nothing more powerful than love. Love will win out over everything and always does. Truth rises to the top. Elder abuse is wrong, deception is wrong, lying to people is wrong. I do hope you make the right decision to come clean. If you continue on this path of destruction, in the end, you are only hurting yourself.
Lark, God bless you and your commitment and love to your Dad. I love you!
Diane
LikeLike
And Mary, if you had nothing to hide, why would you not want Ronald to see his own children? The only reason anyone would attmept to stop visitation is when abuse is involved. That is what abusers do to their victims…..
You see, Mary, Mary Giordano stopped me from seeing my Mom on a number of occassions. She ruined many holidays….along with the last three years of my Mom’s life…
LikeLike
Thank you for the follow – You have a great blog with much needed info and you are brave to let us know what can happen to families facing Elder Care issues
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Elder Advocates and commented:
Never forget…
LikeLike
Hello: I am so sorry I have taken a while to tell you how happy I am to read your site and know that you are putting your time and energy into what I believe is a very important subject to which, in Canada anyway, has not received enough attention. Having seen, up close, what people can do to elderly people gives me insight and is what gave me the impetus to speak on this issue too, in my own way. I am concerned I don’t have the skill to tell my story the way I would like but I feel compelled to forge forward and document this horrible situation to which my mother paid a huge price for, hopefully it may add to the pot of elder abuse understanding. Thank you so much and look forward to hearing more from you.
Louise
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always loved your dad as a best friend. Spending nights there when they lived I believe NE 24th in OKC. I apologize for anything you think I have done to hurt you. I left messages for you to call me back, you never did.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Richard I don’t have a good phone number for you. Please call me. I miss you and love you!
LikeLike
Pingback: Elder Abuse and Exploitation Stories State By State – VP Task Force ™ – CSM