Ruth Odem said her late mother, Sarah Mae Odem, had "this Southern kind of mama love."

"She was a lady who would nurture everyone. She was one of those kind of moms," said Ms. Odem of Farrell. "She took care of everybody's kids, she had big family dinners ..."

"She never turned no one away when you were hungry," said Mrs. Odem's son, Tim, of Sharon. "She fed you, she always had Popsicles for the neighborhood kids ..."

When Mrs. Odem passed away on Nov. 1 at age 67 of colon cancer, she had been in the Family Hospice and Palliative Care program for about three months. The Pittsburgh-based hospice service has an office in Hermitage.

Family Hospice and Palliative Care recently put up a memory tree, which is adorned with doves representing hospice patients who died in the past year. The tree, at the Shenango Valley Mall in Hermitage, is dedicated to Mrs. Odem.

"We were trying to find a special family to dedicate the tree to," said Michelle Carbo, social worker with Family Hospice and Palliative Care. One of the reasons why the Odems were chosen was because they had "an amazing family support system," Ms. Carbo said.

"You could tell what an amazing mother and grandmother she was ... They were a wonderful family. They were so thankful for everything we did," Ms. Carbo said.

Ms. Odem said it is hard to believe her mother is gone. She still refers to her in the present tense, and said she almost called her on the phone a few days ago.

"I just want it known that she was very much loved," she said

Prayer is important in the Odem family.

"My mom believed strongly in prayer. So do we," Ms. Odem said.

The memory tree is in front of Sears. For a donation, family members can place a dove on the tree in memory of a loved one who passed away this year while in the Family Hospice and Palliative Care Program. For more information call (724) 983-6020.