
Mary Penelope Talbot Dugas
Mary, Penny, as many knew her, was proud of her childhood in Manchester, she loved country life. Mary, a graduate of Iowa High School, played basketball and was the Drum Major of the band. She delivered the newspaper for the American Press on her one eyed horse named Blackie.
Mary loved dancing with the love of her life George, whom she met in 1st grade. She loved her Family, sports, Sunday afternoon volleyball games in the neighborhood, yard work, Gaither concerts, vacations with her family, and enjoyed afternoon coffee with her friends. She gave all her children the love of music and taught them all how to dance. Mary had a love for owls and had a very extensive collection that her family helped her collect.
Mary is preceded in death by her parents; sister, Carolyn Buller, and brother, James A. Talbot.
Mary is survived by her husband of 63 years, George Dugas; children, Derrick Dugas (Claudia), Craig Dugas (Pam), Michelle Dugas Peet (Terry), and Kyle Dugas (Tracy); siblings, Rod Talbot (Eunice Rae), Cecil Talbot (Brenda), Bennett Talbot (Kim), Tommy Talbot (Gay), and Bobby Talbot (Cindy); grandchildren, Samara Dugas Rigmaiden (Thomas), Shaina Dugas Duhon (Dustin), Sylvia Dugas Downing (Adam), Derrick Dugas II (Esther), Dominic Dugas (Abigail), Kelsey Peet Gomez (Edwin), Carly Peet, Tyler Peet, Dayton Dugas (Brooke), Danynn Dugas, and Dru Dugas, and 16 great-grandchildren, with another one on the way.
A Memorial Mass will be held in St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Lacassine on Friday, June 6, 2025 at 11 a.m., the Rev. Levi Thompson, Celebrant. Visitation begins Friday, June 6, 2025 in Johnson & Brown Funeral Home of Iowa, from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Burial of her cremains will be in Lacassine Cemetery at a later date. Cremation was entrusted to Johnson & Brown Funeral Home of Iowa.
Words of comfort may be shared at: www.johnso nandbrownfuneralhome.com/Facebook: Johnson & Brown Funeral Home.
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Washington Post
a day ago
- Washington Post
Answering your questions about underused menopause therapies
You're reading The Checkup With Dr. Wen, a newsletter on how to navigate medical and public health challenges. Click here to get the full newsletter in your inbox, including answers to reader questions and a summary of new scientific research. I heard from many readers with questions about my column this week, which discussed underutilized hormone therapies for menopause, especially low-dose vaginal formulations that can treat a common condition, genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). This newsletter is focused on answering them. A number of women shared that they didn't know GSM existed; they just assumed symptoms like vaginal dryness and pain and bleeding during sex were an expected part of aging. Some experienced significant complications themselves. Mary from Wisconsin, for instance, wrote that she suffered recurrent bladder infections for years before a menopause specialist diagnosed her with GSM. The most common question I received was when it was too late to start treatment. As Sarah from Virginia wrote, 'I read your article and then looked up GSM on the internet. I have all the symptoms. But I'm old — 68. I hit menopause when I was in my 40s. If I can't use hormone therapy, what options do I have?' Sarah's question highlights why it is so crucial to separate systemic therapy, intended to increase hormone levels throughout the body, and low-dose vaginal therapy, which introduces only minimal estrogen into the bloodstream. The window to begin systemic therapy is typically within 10 years of the start of menopause (defined as a woman experiencing 12 months without menstrual periods) or before age 60. But no such time limit exists for low-dose vaginal estrogen. Physician and Harvard professor JoAnn E. Manson told me that women no longer eligible for systemic therapy may still experience significant relief with low-dose vaginal estrogen. She also emphasized that though hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms treated by systemic therapies usually subside over time, GSM is a progressive condition that worsens without treatment. Several readers also asked how long they would need to use low-dose vaginal estrogen. University of Virginia OB/GYN JoAnn Pinkerton explained that most women require ongoing treatment. She tells her patients new therapeutic options may emerge in the future, but for now, 'if you stop therapy, you are going to see a reversal of the benefits, and you may very well go back to having the same symptoms.' One aspect that could change over time is the method of application. She advises patients to begin by using estrogen intravaginally. 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Instead of deterring all cancer survivors from hormone treatments, she thinks a better approach is to for patients to work with gynecologists and oncologists to tailor the treatment approach. Right after cancer treatment, Pinkerton said, 'we might try vaginal moisturizers and lubricants. … But at some point, if they are having progressive symptoms, [low-dose vaginal estrogen] can be considered.' 'It seems there is a total 180-degree change in our thinking around hormone therapy,' wrote Jennifer from Maine. 'Twenty years ago, menopausal women were told to stop taking estrogen. Now, has the pendulum swung so much that women are pushed to take hormones, even if we don't have symptoms?' I think we are in the midst of a long-overdue reckoning. The misinterpreted 2002 Women's Health Initiative study unnecessarily dissuaded many women from using hormone therapy who could have potentially benefited from it. That said, it's imperative for scientific evidence to guide who should — and shouldn't — use it. Importantly, neither low-dose vaginal estrogen nor systemic hormone therapy are recommended for women without menopause symptoms. Multiple studies link systemic hormone therapy to fewer heart attacks, prevention of bone loss and lower mortality, but, as Manson explained, 'the evidence has been inconsistent.' Pinkerton tells her patients that systemic hormone therapy can relieve hot flashes, improve sleep and stabilize mood, with possible added benefits for cardiovascular, bone and brain health. But using it solely for disease prevention is another matter entirely, and the bar for evidence must be set much higher. Correcting outdated information does not mean recommending hormone therapy to every woman. Rather, women must receive accurate information and be able to access treatments so they can make informed choices throughout their life transitions. 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Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Gen Z Tenant Finds Mold in Apartment, Fury Over Lease Company's Response
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A South Carolina resident has horrified the internet after revealing the state of her mold-infested apartment, which her leasing agency claims is her fault. Reddit user Mary, 27, from Downtown Charleston, recently took to social media to share several images of the mold that's covering her home and her belongings. The images show handbags, UGG boots, wine bottles, and walls with patches of mold growing on them. Mary has lived in the unit for three years, and although it wasn't so bad for the first two years, things have really taken a turn in 2025. Mary told Newsweek that she previously noticed mold on shoes, purses and jackets that she barely wore, so she didn't think too much of it. But now, it's "even worse" and so many of her possessions have been devastated by mold. "My mattress is covered in mold spores, as well as 80 percent of my purses, shoes, and jackets," Mary said. "My cat tree is covered, and I had to throw it out. Pretty much cotton is the only thing that doesn't have it. All my wooden furniture, like bookshelves and storage shelves, have spots. I've had to throw out so many odds and ends." Mary's Ugg boots and a handbag with spots of mold. Mary's Ugg boots and a handbag with spots of mold. Impossible_Yam4412 / Reddit To make matters worse, Mary said that food items in her cupboards "feel damp" and start to grow mold within a few days. While she isn't sure why it's become so much worse recently, Mary wonders if there might be a potential leak in the wall. She cleans and disinfects regularly, uses a dehumidifier, leaves the extractor fan running in the bathroom, and keeps doors open. 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Another Reddit user wrote: "I'm not sure that they should blame it on you, especially if the previous tent moved because of mold. Your landlord might have painted over the mold instead of having the apartment cleaned. I've heard of some landlords doing this." While another person added: "I'm just surprised you said you have stayed there for three years now. I would have definitely left!" Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.


Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
A Word, Please: Steering clear of faulty parallels
Faulty parallels come up in my editing work all the time, but I have yet to see a better example than a line from the movie 'Rain Man.' In the 1988 film, Raymond, an autistic savant played by Dustin Hoffman, keeps a 'serious injury list' of offenses committed by his brother Charlie, played by Tom Cruise. Among them is the time that Charlie, according to Raymond, 'yelled and pulled and hurt my neck.' Anyone can tell there's something off about that sentence, but pinpointing the problem is a little tougher. To get at what's wrong, you need to focus on something we usually take for granted: parallel sentence structure. Here's the idea: When we say something like, 'I went to the store, the gas station and Mary's house,' what you're really saying is 'I went to the store' and 'I went to the gas station' and 'I went to Mary's house.' But you don't have to repeat the first three words of every sentence because the stuff that follows can share a single instance of 'I went to.' The catch is that all the items have to connect to 'I went to' in the same way. That's called parallel structure. Imagine, though, that we said, 'I went to the store, the gas station and go to Mary's house.' This is a faulty parallel because 'I went to' doesn't connect with 'go to Mary's house.' It says 'I went to go to,' which is illogical. Parallels can take different forms, all of which can break down into faulty structures. For example, the problem with the 'Rain Man' sentence is not that the subject doesn't attach correctly to the multiple verbs that follow. That is, it's fine to say 'Charlie yelled' and 'Charlie pulled' and 'Charlie hurt' — all those work. Instead, the breakdown happens at the end of the sentence when we realize 'my neck' applies not just to the last verb, 'hurt,' but also to the middle verb, 'pulled,' and that it should therefore apply equally to the first verb, 'yelled.' Had Raymond said, 'Charlie pulled and hurt my neck,' it would be clear that 'my neck' is to be shared by both verbs. And he could keep adding verbs, as long as they also had 'my neck' as an object. He 'pulled, hurt, tickled and tattooed my neck.' But throw in a verb that doesn't do anything to his neck, like 'yelled,' and you imply an illogical statement: Charlie yelled my neck. Interestingly, this happens only when three or more items are made parallel. Two items, like 'Charlie yelled and hurt my neck,' would be fine. The faulty parallels I see in my editing work are usually more subtle and often harmless. Here's an example: 'Stretch your legs, your soul and embrace the simple joys.' Technically, that's saying 'Stretch your legs.' 'Stretch your soul.' And 'Stretch embrace the simple joys.' All the parallel items should be nouns you can stretch. 'Embrace' isn't even a noun here. Most of the time, faulty parallels happen because a writer lost track of what the word 'and' is doing in a sentence. 'Our daughter is exploring a number of college majors including English, history, economics and plans to try out for the soccer team.' That sentence needs another 'and' inserted before 'economics' because, as we all instinctively know, lists of three or more items use 'and' before the last item. 'Red, white and blue.' 'Red, white, blue and green.' 'Red, white, blue, green and gray.' The 'and' indicates that last one. In the 'our daughter' sentence, the last major is considered is economics, so it needs an 'and' before it. It's fine to tack on another clause with 'and,' like 'and plans to try out.' But unless you make clear that 'economics' is the last of the majors being considered, you suggest the sentence 'Our daughter is exploring college majors including plans to join the soccer team.' Usually, all it takes to avoid faulty parallels like these is a little care and attention. June Casagrande is the author of 'The Joy of Syntax: A Simple Guide to All the Grammar You Know You Should Know.' She can be reached at JuneTCN@