Jessica M. Housby

Jessica was a bright, energetic young woman. She worked at a local pediatrician's office and as a mother of two, she appears to me to be the kind of individual who would take time to talk to the kids, make them laugh and hand out stickers.

Jessica grew up in Illinois with her brother, mother and step-father. She loved nature, was in ROTC in high school and she joined the National Guard in 1999, while still in high school. Jessica played softball, she went to the gym, she was at the beginning of her exciting life.

Jessica was killed on February 9, 2005 while serving in Iraq with her unit, the 1644 Transportation Company, out of Rock Falls, Ill. She was 23 years old.

Iraq is "over there" and I do not know anyone who is currently serving "over there", but as I stitched Jessica's name for The Mother's Day Project, I thought about this war and not only our innocent young who are dying but the young of all countries involved. Mothers now without daughters, daughters now without mothers.

Bring our families home. They must be brought home now.