To: elyse From: clong@wcnet.org (Cliff Long) Subject: Letter to Diane Cc: Bcc: X-Attachments:
A letter to my dear sister, Diane...Special delivery to heaven
Dear Diane,
Memories! How many we've collected in your almost 70 years and my 66. It occurs to me that we didn't spend many of those years living together and yet how close we've been...not in distance but in FEELING. You were almost 4 when I was born and you left for Blackburn College when you were 18. There probably wasn't a lot of interaction between us til I was 3 or so (so far as real play was concerned) so not more than 10 or 11 years were we real companions.
The activities I remember best doing together when we were little kids was playing paper dolls and with our miniature doll furniture. Instead of dolls, we used china animals..4, as I remember. Jack & Kitty were 2 of the characters & I can't remember the names of the others. Little did we know that we'd have 2 special Jacks in our lives at a later date.
How you loved horses..and how thrilled you were when "George" appeared at our house! He'd had many a year working in the mines and must've thought he was in pony heaven to be your special pony. You spent hours currying & brushing him, learned to harness him to pull a cart, how to put a saddle & bridle on him. What a trickster he was. He'd puff up his stomach when you put the saddle on & then when we got on, let out the air & we'd slide off, along with the saddle. I never shared your love of horses but know what pleasure you got from riding.
What good times we had playing in the barn hayloft with neighbor kids, playing all sorts of games. Frankie & Sally Hopkins used to walk across the fields to play with us..or we'd go there. We even tried signaling them with a flag but the distance was too great & that didn't work too well. We had many sleepovers with Marilyn and Helen Cramer and they were fun.
In the winter when there was snow, we'd go to Cramer's hill to coast. What fun! We'd stay til we were half frozen and then stop at Grandmother's to "thaw out". Oh the pain as our fingers and toes tingled & came back to life! Grandmother would have papers on the floor so we wouldn't "track in". She'd give us spice cookies.
Remember the church & Delong PTA programs? At Christmas there were always programs and we'd have "pieces" to say and songs to sing. At Mom's request, Mary Elizabeth Underwood made velvet dresses with lace collars for us one year, blue for me and wine for you! We thought we were the most dressed up children in the whole world! Ellie, you and I did a lot of singing together. Ellie played the piano and sang alto, you sang second and I sang the melody. We did quite a bit of singing at church and other places. I can't recall feeling nervous. Were you?
When you started high school, you drove one of Dad's vintage cars. Sometimes they weren't in the best mechanical condition. (Have you talked to him about that since you got to heaven?). Mom & Dad weren't impressed with my 7th grade teacher so I rode with you to Abingdon Junior High for the last half of that year. Did you think me a nuisance? Not that I recall!
After Jack & Ellie were married, we used to visit them in Tuscaloosa in the Spring. Mom & Dad took you, Sammy and me out of school for a week and it was great fun to visit those dear ones, enjoy warm weather and see Spring arriving weeks before it would get to Illinois (and miss school!). We went on to Pensacola one time and tried shrimp for the first time. Another time we went to Mobile and visited Bellingrath Gardens. The camellias and azaleas were so beautiful and you and I toured the mansion there. Elegant! A trip to Birmingham was sobering..the first time I was aware of rest rooms & water fountains marked "White" & "Colored".
Remember when Sam got scarlet fever on his birthday? You were home from Blackburn & almost ready to return when a trip to the doctor reealed Sam's disease and he & Mom were quarantined for 3 weeks! Dad moved to Grandmother's so he could keep working. You and I went to Aunt Wanda & Uncle Guy's where we were to stay for a week to see if we too would succumb. Oh that cold upstairs bedroom where we slept! We'd run upstairs & jump under the cover, even our heads! In the morning we'd run downstairs & dress next to the stove! Dad came for us a couple of days later and took us to the Orpheum in Galesburg to see "The Paleface". We laughed til our stomachs hurt..& hoped no one we knew saw us out "breaking the law"!
When you got married, I was one of your bridesmaids..and then we waved goodbye as you drove off to New Jersey. A year later, we visited you there & saw your darling Bruce for the first time. We did so many interesting things while there, among them a tour of NYC with our cousin from Montclair.
Soon after I started nursing school at Cottage, you and Bruce visited on your way from NJ to your new home in California. Al had a job there & you were soon convinced that California was THE place to live!
We didn't see you often over those next few years. Flying wasn't popular, as it is now & it was a long way to drive from IL to CA! Nancy Leigh & I came to visit when we finished nursing school--flew from Chicago Midway to LA. Al came to meet us only to learn we'd been diverted to another airport..poor guy didn't get much sleep that night! Eric and Elyse had been added to your family and we enjoyed your little three. Al took us to the Rose Parade in '55--one of the few times it's "rained on the parade". It was beautiful anyway. The plan was to go to San Diego one day. Eric got sick so you insisted that Al take Nancy & me, as planned. What a great day we had, never dreaming you'd end up living in that area someday! At the harbor, Al pointed out the naval ships in port & took us to Florence Chadwick's for lunch. Whatta guy!
In 1956, my good friend, Cliff Long (met at U. of I) had a summer job working at Douglas Aircraft in CA for the summer. Curt was born in July & shortly thereafter, you invited Cliff & Ralph Townsend to come for dinner (what a woman!). Apparently you liked him (& knew I did too) as you suggested the Ozarks as a honeymoon spot as that's where you'd gone. That didn't scare Cliff off & a little over a year later, that's where we were honeymooning! You were my matron of honor.
Starting in 1969, we began having planned reunions, starting, at your suggestion, in Bend, Oregon. It was a great idea and how we looked forward to those get togethers. We always found lots of things to do but leisure time too with chatting, singing & EATING. Many times reunions centered around weddings as the 14 grandchildren got married. Bruce was the first and Eric the last.
The move to Maryland wasn't a popular one with you...but you endured and ended up in your wonderful Alpine home. We enjoyed many visits with you there.
You were the one to come from a distance to be with Mom and Dad during their last days. How appreciative they were to have you with them!
It's been almost four years since Cliff's surgery. You flew to Indianapolis for the reunion at Brown County in July. Jo lent you her car and you came straight to Bowling Green to be with us. You demonstrated your love for us, as you had on so many occasions. You were with us for Cliff's first chemo session.. and then we caravaned to Brown County! When you knew we were going to Nashville for a meeting there, you came to join us. On the way there, we visited Steve & Kim in Cincinnati and Lance and Karyn in Hendersonville. While Cliff was at meetings, we enjoyed sightseeing...& just being together. What a special time! You marvelled at Cliff's spirit..and thanked God that he was doing so well. You came for our 40th anniversary celebration, another special occasion. You enjoyed our kids..and they you. You never met a stranger. All were your friends and your vivacious spirit will always be remembered by those who knew you.
Our "original" reunions in Indianpolis were such fun. You were sorely missed when we met in April.
Dear Elyse called us with the bad news in September that you were very weak, had extremely low hemoglobin and she thought you had lymphoma. It took the doctors til December to make that diagnosis! You bravely underwent chemotherapy, knowing you'd lose your hair &, for Christmas, wished for a thin face as yours was now swollen due to taking prednisone. When it was apparent the chemo wasn't working, Elyse assured you that if you didn't want further treatment, she'd honor that wish & that she'd be with you til the end. What a daughter! She was a tower of strength during your last days and we were privileged to be with you too--Cliff, Steve & Andy too. Your strength had given out and you were ready to rejoin Mom, Dad & other loved ones. Much as we wanted you to stay, we couldn't wish that when you wanted to go. We were with you to the end and somehow were able to sing "Amazing Grace" with Elyse leading us as you drew your last, peaceful breaths.
We miss you, dear sister, forever friend, but know you're in a better place.. and we will someday join you there. Til then, adieu.
Your loving sister, Marilyn