The

sudden loss of her husband, Robert, in 1997 left Jennifer Truitt a single mother. She lost her high school sweetheart, the love of her life, and she could not imagine how she could bring up their two children, Krystal, then 10, and Jeremy, 5, without their father. She recalls first the anger and the disbelief; and then the heartache, loneliness and fright when he died eight years ago.

Mothers Day 2005 finds her not only having coped successfully with the challenge of single motherhood but also having started on a career path she never would have imagined she could accomplish.

On that June day in 1997, Robert was operating heavy equipment around the oil company in Ferriday, La., where he worked, when an object entered his leg &045; found later on examination to have been a stray bullet, the source of which was never identified.

&uot;It could have come from the woods two miles away,&uot; Jennifer said. &uot;We couldn’t believe the weirdness of that bullet falling into his leg.&uot;

At home recuperating 10 days later, Robert suffered a blood clot to his lung that was to take his life.

&uot;I was in shock and scared to death,&uot; Jennifer said. Now, Krystal, 19, is in her first year at the University of Southern Mississippi, hoping to pursue a pre-medical curriculum; and Jeremy, only a few days from turning 14, also is doing well, she said.

Three years ago, Jennifer began to take classes at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. &uot;I would just take a couple of classes a semester,&uot; she said. &uot;And then I said to myself,

‘I can do this,’ and I decided to plunge in.&uot;

Marrying soon after high school graduation, she had never been to college and never had worked outside the home. &uot;My husband always wanted me to stay home with the kids,&uot; she said.

On Monday, she will take the final exam in Anatomy & Physiology II, one of the last requirements for her to enter the two-year respiratory therapy program at Co-Lin. &uot;I’m thinking now here I am when most people begin to think about retirement, and I’m just starting.&uot;

The eight years since her husband’s death have not been easy, she said. Family, neighbors and other friends and her church family have helped her to remain strong. &uot;The neighbors have been terrific,&uot; she said. &uot;We had lived in this house only about a year when it happened.&uot;

Losing the house, a comfortable, attractive house in a subdivision north of Natchez, was one of her first and greatest fears. While working full time, her husband had built the house himself.

&uot;I kept thinking, ‘how can I lose this house,’&uot; Jennifer said. &uot;He had built it for us. He nailed every nail in this house. I was terrified of losing it.&uot;

She considered what she might have to do, how many minimum-wage jobs it might take for her to keep the family in their home.

Then soon after his death, a friend who worked at the Social Security office told her she was eligible to receive monthly payments for herself and for each child up to age 18. It was a life saver, she said.

&uot;It’s not been a lot of money, but it helped us to stay in our home,&uot; she said. &uot;The children were clinging to me. I knew I couldn’t leave them to take two jobs. Social Security meant I could pay the bills, the electricity. Without it, I couldn’t have stayed in this house and now couldn’t be going back to school.&uot;

She did go to work, however, a part-time position offered her at Smith Printing, where she has worked for six years. &uot;The Smiths are good people,&uot; she said. &uot;They let me have the time when I needed it. Krystal was into everything in high school, all the sports, the dance team. I had to be there for her. And now they let me work around my school schedule.&uot;

Being there for her children has been the most important thing in her life since her husband’s death, she said. &uot;Robert was a super dad, and the kids just worshiped him. I didn’t think I could stand in his shoes, especially with a little boy to raise.&uot;

Jennifer learned to fish, hunt and ride four-wheelers. She remembers hearing Jeremy’s friends refer to her as a &uot;cool mom.&uot;

&uot;But I had to do it,&uot; she said. &uot;I had two kids. I had to look out for them. The worst thing in the world had happened to them. It’s made me a way stronger person.&uot;

A person of strong faith, Jennifer said she realizes &uot;the Lord had a reason, and I don’t know what it is. The question will always be there. But the Lord has provided for us. Every time you think you can’t do it any more, here comes a little bit of strength to help you through it.&uot;

The challenges will continue, she said. &uot;Nothing ever makes it better, but you can make yourself better. I had no college experience before I started taking classes at Co-Lin, but now I hope I’ll be able to get a good job. I’ve had so many friends out there.&uot;