Oakville resident Cindy Wolf, 49, has been named the Call’s Mother of the Year for 2010.

Since 1990, the Call has honored mothers whose families believe they deserve special recognition for all that they have done.

“She deserves to win because she never does anything for herself,” wrote her 24-year-old daughter, Amanda Mehrtens of Maeystown, Ill., in her nomination letter.

“She doesn’t buy things for herself,” Mehrtens said. “When she has money, she gives it to her kids.”

“I enjoy my kids and grandkids … That’s what I like to do, that’s what I want,” Wolf said.

When Mehrtens’ daughter Ava was born four months ago, there were physical complications as well as postpartum depression.

“That was easy,” Wolf said. “Stay home with my daughter and new grandbaby or go on vacation? It wasn’t a tough call. She needed me.”

Wolf had insurance on her vacation that would cover any penalty for a late change of plans.

Her bags were already packed, but instead of heading for Jamaica, she spent six weeks in Maeystown.

“Amanda thought I was giving of myself,” Wolf said. “I enjoyed it. I was taking care of my baby and my grandchild.”

Wolf’s plans changed as soon as she got the call notifying her Mehrtens was delivering.

“She was the first person there,” Mehrtens said, noting her mom arrived even before her husband. When Mehrtens and her baby went home, Wolf went with them and stayed for six weeks.

“My 20-year-old called and said: ‘Mom, don’t forget you have kids here in Oakville, too,”’ Wolf said.

After leaving her daughter’s home, Wolf went back to work for a short time before deciding to retire.

“My dad said she quit work to be home, but all she does is spend time with her grandkids,” Mehrtens said. “She’s never home.”

But Wolf said her life is better than ever.

“My first grandson is going to be 5,” she said. “I remember his dad being that old.

“What was I going to do? Sit at work and make money? For what? These are things I will always remember. I’m loving life right now.”

Mehrtens told a story about her mother refusing Christmas and birthday gifts, preferring instead to receive cards that were handwritten.

“That’s my favorite thing in the world,” Wolf said. “I have every card they ever made me put away. It comes from the heart.

“You can get a little postcard or index card, anything you want, and write something. Those are things that mean a lot to me.”

Wolf, who grew up near St. Anthony’s Medical Center, took the letter her daughter wrote nominating her for the Mother of the Year Award from the interview to add to that collection.

“She says I think of everybody but myself,” she said. “Amanda’s no different. How she looks at me is how I look at her.”