Mary Jewett

is honored with a Brick from YWCA/Ramona Liera-Schwichtenberg

Mary Jewett was born on April 24, 1951. She came down with polio when she was 17 months old. Struggled with learning how to walk again and had surgeries to help. She owes a lot to her mother who helped through this time. She graduated from Wichita High School East in1969. She worked at Don Schmid Motors from 1973-1985, 11 and a half years, as a General Office Clerk.

In 1981, her mother passed away. In 1983, she met her husband, Robert. In 1987, Mary had her first son, Christopher Lee Jewett. In 1988, she lost a baby to tubular pregnancy. Then in 1989, she had a total hip transplant on her right hip. Owe it to her husband for helping her to walk again and get well.

In1990, Mary had her second son, Damon Troy Jewett. During this time a lot of verbal and emotional abuse was going on. In 1998, there was a PFA served on her husband. Her husband got help. From January 1-June 16, 2000, Mary was physically abused by her husband with weapons and his fist. He turned his little boy into hurting his mother by choking her, pulling her hair and locking her in a room. She was working until May 24, 2000. Her husband went and told her workplace that she quit. He didn’t like her working. She had been with Robert for 17 years. So on June 7, 2000, Mary had DCCCA come into her life to observe what was going on. She was trying to protect her boys and herself from Robert, but since he was so physically abusive, she was having trouble getting herself and the boys out. On June 16, 2000, the police, SRS and DCCCA took Robert to the hospital and the boys to the Wichita Children’s Home where they are now in foster care. Mary was physically abused so bad she wasn’t able to take care of her boys.

To this day, she got out of the abusive relationship. She got another PFA on her husband. He doesn’t know where she is and she doesn’t want to see him. He doesn’t know where the boys are. They are safe away from him. She is filing for a divorce. She is going on with her life. She is working on getting her boys back. She is a fighter. Now she has post- polio syndrome that makes it hard for her to walk. She walked in the 5K Sole Sisters Walk, came in last, but she did it. It doesn’t stop her, she keeps on going. She will get her boys back and they will be a family again and go on with their lives. She can raise them on her own. Mary is a loving and caring woman.

May 1, 2001