Bob;
You might want to Try getting her to attend a women in the Outdoors Class or 2, They are great, I am an instructor for the Women in the Outdoors Whitetail Deer Bowhunting Class here Locally, and I had a lot of women sign up for the class that had never deer hunted but wanted to feel it out and learn about it to see if it was for them.... heck I even had a grandmother in her 60,s attend whom said at the finish of the course she was gonna go buy her own bow so she could learn to bowhunt, said she had been shooting her grandsons bow but now wanted her own bow to hunt with.
I will keep your wifes mother in my prayers!