Margery Wells, Pedestrian Struck and Killed Last Night: ‘Creative, Intelligent, and Kind’
This section includes announcements of important events in our lives–births, graduations, engagements, marriages, and deaths. If you want to share an event with your community, please send a photo and your account to [email protected].
When Mark Huddleson learned of the death of his friend, a pedestrian who was struck and killed on Hwy 101 last night, he wrote the following piece.
We’ve reprinted it with his permission.
Margery Wells
This is my friend, Margery. We were friends in college, but had lost contact until last November.
We spent a lot of time hiking in Headwaters forest this summer. She talked a lot about her ideas and dreams, which she wished to express musically and artistically. Always hopeful.
The one thing that she really struggled with was mental illness. It was like a cage she could never escape from. She expressed many times that she just wanted to be “normal,” like everyone else (it would tear me up to hear that, but I always tried to play it down). She never gave up, though. She always had plans.
Unfortunately, I lost contact with her a few weeks back. I could tell she was slipping the last time I saw her.
Margery was the woman who was killed on the freeway near Fortuna last night. I can’t imagine what was going through her head. She must have lost all hope.
She was a beautiful soul, a caring mother and grandmother. She was creative, intelligent, and kind. I value the times we had together, and will forever be grateful that I knew her.
I just finished a long walk through the woods. I’ve done this hike countless times alone, but today was the first time it felt lonely.
Be at peace, my sweet friend.?? — feeling heartbroken.
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
❤️❤️❤️
Mark,
I’m truly sorry for the loss of your lifetime friend. Please contact Victim Witness in Eureka for some funding to help lay your friend to rest. These are great people that will help you and Margery’s family out in this time of despair.
Victim Witness
712 4th Street
Eureka, Ca. 95501
707-445-7417
Lovely! Hugs and praise to you to rise to the occasion and say such beautiful words. I too know what it’s like to lose a close.friend and have to describe to the coroner what ahebwas like in life form. It’s hard to find the beautiful words. You did a great job! Proud of you!
As the family member of loved ones with mental illnesses, I want a world where we think of those who deal with this as fellow humans struggling to find their path in a dark woods. And however we perceive their choices, I hope we understand they are grappling with an incredible amount of pain.
Thank you thank you for sharing this. We are all in this together, when will we figure that out. Another fragile human being, so sad.
Thank you so much for sharing, Kym. I, too, have mental illness in my family, and it has not been an easy road for anyone. Mental illness and mental health are both real, and really important. It’s so sad… such a young woman and a beautiful soul. May she rest in peace. Sincere condolences to her family and friends. And the community, too. We’ve lost someone very precious.
Depression can be caused by something as simple as vitamin d3 deficiencie. Imagine that.
Being labeled mentally ill because of an undiagnosed vitamin d3 deficiencie. Imagine that.
People committing suicide because of an untreated vitamin d3 deficiencie. Imagine that.
People being cured of horrible depression in minutes with something as simple as a sublingual vitamin d3 spray.
Imagine that.
Worked for me.
Thanks Dr. Mylene Rucker. You saved me. Not one Dr. had ever thought to check my vitamin d3 level.
They were all too quick to try to prescribe antidepressants.
Imagine that.
No thanks. Have you read the side effects? Thoughts of suicide or homicide etc.
Imagine that.
But not Dr. Rucker.
Imagine that.
I often wonder if tragedies like this can sometimes be caused by such side effects and if they could be prevented sometimes by something as simple as correcting a vitamin d3 deficiencie.
Nobody should be labeled mentally ill and given antidepressants due to a misdiagnosed vitamin deficiencie.
Imagine that.
Ruling that out first seems elementary. Not ruling that out first seems like it would be malpractice.
Something that simple alleviating so much suffering and the possible suicidal or homicidal side effects of the misprescription of antidepressants in the case of vitamin d3 deficiencie.
Imagine that.
It’s nice that worked for you, but not all forms of depression can be cured with vitamins. Some people suffer from ailments of the heart and soul, and they need help that understands this, and cures that reflect the nature of their troubles. I don’t blame you for being wary of antidepressants and big pharma. I think your concerns are justified. But, people still need help. Medication may be part of a solution in certain cases, but talking therapy often tends to be more effective than simply taking pills. The whole field of mental health would do well to learn more about psychology, than psychiatry, in my humble opinion.
Some people have both vitamin D deficiency and clinical depression/mental illness.
A very touching tribute, Mark. Thank you.
??RIP Margery ???
Amen.
Thank you Mark. The simplicity of your tribute and your heart felt connection with Margery shine though.
I am touched in many ways.
Let us not forget to stop when we want to condemn ‘them’ or characterize them by what we ‘see’. And, keep in mind, as Kym points out, that these are human beings who are deeply in (physical yes, but more likely mental) pain.
Thank you Mark and Kym, for sharing this.
What a beautiful tribute to a truly suffering soul. May she rest in peace.
shut up john
I can see some people struggle be normal. I have always been a little
ab normal myself. And have really good friends that live in a separate reality’s.
I have had major depression where couldn’t sleep for weeks at a time, and the walls of reality come tumbling down. So I encourage people not to judge so harshly when you don’t know the circumstances. Life can be a wild ride it is time to check our morals in order to make it through the difficult times ahead.
Thanks for the great memories of your friend
I’m sorry. That’s all I can say. It’s hard.
My heart aches for Margery, for the pain it sounds like she has endured for years. I feel sad for her family and friends who have lost someone they love! How hard it must be for them.
I’m not an expert on mental illness, just one who has first hand experience in battling depression. Every mental illness is different as well as the people affected by them. But I think there are some commonalities that I must exist in many mental illnesses. There can come a type of chaos that takes up residency in the thoughts/feelings of ones mind and heart. It’s something that is truly indescribable to those who have not experienced something similar. The cycle of moving through the depression, gaining ground, only to slip back into it can get overwhelming and distort reason. Many get to a point that they feel there is no hope… no hope of it ever changing. It’s the proverbial, no light at the end of the tunnel scenario. And when in that place of no light, sometimes it can take a very long time to see the smallest ray coming through! That is when the thought of a life of emotional and mental upheaval, chaos, pain and despair, day in and day out can be overwhelming. It is so tiring and can take away any desire to keep going! Mark’s comment that, “She must have lost all hope”, is a very accurate description of what can happen. There is no hope… that’s a horrible place to be!
Fortunately I was able to hold on till I could see some light, some change. It’s hard work and many times I wanted to give up. Eventually I was able to get to the point of managing this dreadful illness called depression. I have been living a full and happy life for years now. But I always have to be on guard and determined to keep from slipping into darkness again. But for many, they reach a point that life in the chaos and darkness needs to just stop. And they choose to stop it the only way they know how…. by ending their life.
It breaks my heart when someone can’t hang on any longer and let’s go… I wish they could find hope and get through the worst of it. But I will never judge them for their actions for I have walked that fine line… I understand what can lead to this.
It makes me sad that we live in a world that still judges those who struggle with mental illness. No one the right to do that …even when someone ends their life..
I pray for a world where if we don’t feel quite up to par mentally or we’re struggling emotionally, having panic attacks, have schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc., it’s no big deal to go to a psychiatrist or therapist.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we treated mental illnesses like we do physical illness and abnormalities…. This world would be So much better.
My you now have peace, Margery Wells! ?
Keep the faith.
I attended Humboldt State University with Margery 32 years ago. We were both music majors. She was a lovely person and threw me a baby shower back then before the birth of my first daughter, which was incredibly thoughtful. She moved away and we lost touch. I pray for her peace.
Thank you for sharing, Mark. Once I saw your photo of Marjory, I knew she was my friend from college. Please let me know if I can be of help.
Sincerely,
Carol Conners
I am very sorry you lost your friend. I used to have a very close friend that struggled with mental illness, she was one of the nicest people I have ever met. It is sad that this happened. Yesterday I read the comment section before they said who the victim was, and it was just disturbing that most of the comments were just cruel and very narrow minded. Most of them instantly assume that this person was a (well I don’t want to say because it is a mean thing to say about people you know nothing about.) But I am sick of the attitude of all the (Better than anyone else) people. I am sorry to run on like this but damn, people need to lighten up a little. Not all of us are (TWEEKERS).
??Your the one of the only one’s that have pointed out the crowds mentality. I knew her on and off and when I first met her I was wrong, then I tried to help and then I lost the battle, deep down I keep thinking she might have been heading my way for that help.??
We Come and We Go …j$
https://youtu.be/-qNSb9A931E
❤️❤️❤️❤️
https://www.madinamerica.com/2019/08/blaming-mentally-ill-is-hate-speech
“Mental illness” is a best a metaphor. The DSM has no scientific validity, the former head of the DSM IV committee, Dr. Allan Frances, admits.
The “brain chemistry” myth continues to cause harm. THose drugs take, on average, 25 years off their lives.
Going off and starting brain drugs are fraught with dangers…
it’s the drugs, man…
Quit piling on people who aren’t as stoic and clueless as ‘normal’ people.
Our ‘civilization’ is hardly sane, eh?
Thanks, spamish.
~who will keep the truth alive if not us?
Margery was my roommate for a year in the mid-80s while we both attended HSU. I was so impressed that she had the maturity to raise a young child as a single mother and attend school. I always loved hearing her practice her singing, especially O Mio Babbino Caro. I am so sorry to hear this tragic news.
?…She is released from life’s embrace. Along this hillside, with trees like sentinels, a rain of rose petals fall, cleansing sage burns toward the four corners of this giving earth…through acceptance and surrender, we breathe in the life that once was yours, farewell, Margery, farewell…?
Thanks Mark – that was beautiful. Glad you were able to reconnect with her. I wish I could have.
Margery and I were once roommates in a household in McKinleyville in the early 90’s. I found her to be a talented, kind and very sweet person. It was sad to see her struggle with mental illness and so sad to hear this news. My sympathies go out to her son, family and friends.
It would have been about 25 years ago and there was a Mark there that put together the skits. Dancing and singing for the kids. My memory isn’t great but I do remember her smile ♡
Mark, you are a true friend and she was lucky to have you in her life.
I am so sorry for the loss of Margie and the impact on her friends and especially her family. My heart goes out to all. I just want to make sure that people know that she did not, I repeat, DID NOT commit suicide. It is a huge injustice to her memory to think, or perpetuate that, and I know that it is not being done on purpose. At the time of her death she was in no way, shape or form suicidal. Just know that. I saw her two weeks prior and many mutual friends saw her 4 days prior. I just want to be clear on that point, for her sake. She was, as stated, a bright, energetic, kind, talented and positive person, who happened to be in the midsts of a manic episode at the time of her death. She had not slept in weeks. Instead she walked around at night. She had reasons for wanting to be in Fortuna, though she was staying (but not staying) in Arcata… reasons that I won’t go into. She thought that she was doing what was best at the time, though it was ill guided, for certain. I can assure you this was not her intention. She did not realize at the time that her actions could result in her death. She was not aware of the danger in what she was doing at the time. She was traveling by foot and trying to work things out physically, and mentally, in the midst of the highway. I can think of several reasons Margie would be waving a stick at passing cars, but again, I will not go into it out of respect for her memory. I just want people to know that she did not commit suicide, that was not her intention. She was traveling by foot and in the manic state of a mental break and there was an accident that resulted in her death. Margie was in an accident. She had plans. She made plans. The manic episode got in the way of those plans. So please, do not believe for a moment she intended her death. Peace and love, and prayers to all of her friends and to her family that meant SO MUCH to her.
Hello friend,
After speaking with CHP and several people who had seen Margery a few days before the accident (including her son who’d seen her the day of), I also do not believe she was suicidal. She’d already been picked up by police that afternoon and should have been taken to Sempre Virens, but there wasn’t enough to hold her there involuntarily (she refused to go on her own). She then traveled to Fortuna, to stay with friends. For reasons unknown, she ended up on the freeway in the middle of the night. She may have been trying to get to a friend’s house in the Palmer Avenue area. At this point, she was more than likely in a psychotic state and lost touch with reality.
Fortuna police pulled up on her to investigate. She ran across the freeway when she saw them, went over the divider into the northbound lane and got hit by a truck. Medical was there in minutes, but she had already passed.
It’s a very tragic and upsetting situation. I wish we could have stopped this. I miss her so much..
Thank you for sharing that with me, with us. I am grateful that people will know this was not her intention. Thank you. ❤️
You’re welcome. ❤