Mother, 90, caring for 70-year-old daughter

EDMOND, Okla. (AP) -- At 90, Nola Davison's parental responsibilities have never been greater. But neither perhaps have been the joys as Davison cares for her 70-year-old daughter, Carlene Scheidt,

Monday, March 20th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

EDMOND, Okla. (AP) -- At 90, Nola Davison's parental responsibilities have never been greater. But neither perhaps have been the joys as Davison cares for her 70-year-old daughter, Carlene Scheidt, the victim of a stroke 12 years ago.

Both women are widows, and Davison said the bond between she and her daughter is lifelong. "I'll take care of her for as long as she lives -- and as long as I live," Davison said. "Nothing is more important than taking care of my daughter."

Davison regularly reads the newspaper to Scheidt. She also dresses her and cooks her meals. They watch television together, get their nails and hair done and feed birds that gather on their patio.

Scheidt cannot speak clearly, but she understands and enjoys her mother's conversations. In their northwest Edmond home, the two sleep on the same king-size bed, holding hands and cuddling. Davison spends an hour combing her daughter's hair.

During the night, Davison helps Scheidt go to the bathroom.

Gerry Meeker, 59, helps with housework and drives them to frequent doctors' appointments, since Davison stopped driving three years ago.

In past days, Davison and Scheidt played golf together, played in bridge clubs, went to movies and attended church.

Now, besides weekly appointments at an Edmond beauty salon, the two still go out to eat and often go shopping at the mall, where Meeker pushes Scheidt in a wheelchair.

Meeker marvels at the bond between the two women. "She never wants to go anywhere without Carlene. What she's doing now is taking care of her child, her baby. She's pampering her child," Meeker said.

Scheidt was born in 1930, went to high school in Oklahoma City, graduated from Oklahoma State University and had a career as a secretary.

Davison and her husband, Kenneth, moved to Oklahoma City from Arkansas. She was -- and still is -- a homemaker. "I love taking care of my Carlene," she said. "I wouldn't trust anyone else to do it the right way."