54 November 2021 | prestonhollowpeople.com
Living
SHE WAS ‘ALWAYS TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE’
Family remembers mother, grandmother who died early in pandemic Watkins contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized after her oxygen levels dipped dangerously low. “I know doctors were doing everything they could,” McDowell said. “It’s just an awful thing for my mom being this caregiver that she was to be in a hospital alone.”
PANDEMIC MADE PERSONAL This is the first in a series we’re planning about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families in our community. Visit www. peoplenewspapers.com/submit-atip/ to share your story.
She just kind of stepped in and did what she needed to do for us. She was my go to. Ashley Watkins McDowell
By Rachel Snyder
Rachel.snyder@peoplenewspapers.com
C
arol Wilson Watkins, a nurse by trade, was “always taking care of people.” “She was good that way as a mom, too,” one of her three daughters, Ashley Watkins McDowell, said. “She was that person that when I needed something, she was there. She just kind of stepped in and did what she needed to do for us. She was my go-to. She was like that for my whole family. She had the best smile.” McDowell is a co-founder of Turner McDowell Rowan family law, and one of her sisters also is a lawyer. After moving to Dallas, Watkins worked in pediatric nursing at Children’s Medical Center and Pediatric Associates of Dallas before becoming a consultant on medical issues for the law firm Baron & Budd. McDowell said Watkins enjoyed
Carol Wilson Watkins enjoyed celebrating with family. (COURTESY PHOTOS) lunches at the Zodiac Room at NorthPark Center and celebrating family birthdays. “She always wanted to make all of our birthdays special,” McDowell said. “She loved her friends; she loved being around people.” Watkins retired about six years ago and was diagnosed with dementia about
four years ago. McDowell said the family moved her mother into assisted living around March of 2020, and her facility was quickly closed to visitors. McDowell got a call from her mother about a week later and learned something was wrong.
Watkins died March 31, 2020, at 73. “It was hard on all of us, and I think we all handled it in different ways,” McDowell said of her family. “You’re alone, and you have your family, but it’s just sort of surreal when you’re sheltering in place, and it can kind of seem not real because everybody’s just by themselves, but I think when we did start kind of easing into doing things it became real again.” She also reflected on her mother’s influence. “She did everything as a mom that she could for us even if that meant sacrificing something of her own, and I probably see that more as a mom, and I think that influenced us,” McDowell said. “I would generally say she taught me to be strong and independent and caring, and I hope I do all of those things in her honor for my whole life.”
Things To Do Chi Omega Christmas Market (PHOTO: COURTESY OF COCM)
Trains at NorthPark (PHOTO: COURTESY OF BRET REDMAN)
Trains at NorthPark When: Nov. 13-Jan. 2, 2022. Where: second level of NorthPark Center, between Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus Admission: $5 for children ages 2-12 and seniors over 65, $10 for adults, free for children younger than 2 Texas’ largest miniature train exhibit boasts more than 1,600
feet of tracks and 750-plus railcars featuring the organizations, families, and individuals who make the event possible by purchasing railcars with customized artwork for $200 or more. Purchase one by Dec. 7 to guarantee it gets on the tracks before season’s end. Proceeds from the event help Ronald McDonald House Dallas provide a
Enchant Christmas (PHOTO: COURTESY OF ENCHANT CHRISTMAS) home away from home for families with sick and injured children. Visit thetrainsatnorthpark.com.
Chi Omega Christmas Market When: Nov. 17-20 Where: Automobile Building at Fair Park. Admission: $15-100 A 44-year-old tradition returns
to in-person shopping with some 200 merchants and more than 11,000 shoppers anticipated. Organizers promise “gifts for every person on your list, including holiday décor, women’s clothing/accessories, home accents, children’s clothing/toys, food items and more.” Proceeds will benefit 15 nonprofits. Visit chiomegaxmas.org.
Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot When: 8:30 a.m. Nov. 25 Where: Dallas City Hall Admission: $37 untimed, $42 timed, $15 ages 5 and younger The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas’ Thanksgiving Day event, themed “Thankful Together,” includes 5k and 8-mile courses and virtual and in-person options with proceeds supporting programs that help families dealing with diabetes, nutritional challenges, and weight loss struggles. The first 200 children to register are eligible to participate in the Junior Trot, a 1K fun run beginning at 8:15 am. Visit thetrot.org. Enchant Christmas When: Nov. 26 – Jan. 2, 2022 (but closed Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Dec. 6-8, and Dec. 13-15) Where: The Esplanade at Fair Park, Admission: Starting at $19 for children, $20 for adults Enchant transforms Fair Park into “The World’s Most Magical Christmas Light Maze & Village” with an ice-skating trail, gourmet holiday treats from around the world, the artisan market, a light maze, and “The Great Search” to find Santa’s nine missing reindeer. Visit enchantchristmas.com. – Staff report
