The husband of Shelby County Probate Judge Patricia Yeager Fuhrmeister says his wife is responding well to cancer treatments.

Jim Fuhrmeister relayed the message by e-mail last week from Houston, where Patricia has been undergoing treatment for a form of acute adult leukemia at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

&8220;The tremendous outpouring of prayers and love from our family, friends in Shelby County and all over the state as well as our deep faith in the healing power of God are sustaining us,&8221; Fuhrmeister wrote. &8220;We look forward to returning home and seeing our friends and family.&8221;

Patricia Fuhrmeister, 50, is nearing the end of her second six-year term. She faces no opposition in the November elections.

In the mean time, most of Fuhrmeister&8217;s duties will be handled by Chief Clerk Kim Melton.

&8220;I miss her and am confident she will be back, and come back stronger than ever,&8221; Melton said.

The Office of the Probate is responsible for overseeing elections, estates and records deeds, and for performing weddings and adoptions. Condemnations and other equity cases are also handled in Probate Court.

Patricia is the daughter of Pelham&8217;s first mayor, Paul Yeager. She and her husband, Jim, an attorney, have two sons