In Memoriam

This is a picture of my Brother Bob, Wife Joyce and Son Bill…they had two other children, Mick, the oldest and Jan was in the middle (as far as ages go). All in the picture are gone now. Joyce was the last to leave us last Friday, day after Christmas. She was a beautiful lady, with that old southern charm. My wife and I will miss  them. Bob was my oldest brother. I met Joyce, after their wedding, they came  to visit my Mom and Dad’s home in Downey, CA just after they were married in Huntsville, AL where they lived their whole lives. I was only ten, but taken by her beauty  and grace. My dad said that she reminded him of Grace Kelly, (a Hollywood  actress in the 50’s). I wish we were  able to visit them more, but living so far away, it was hard because of time and money  to make the journey. Thru the years I  was able to visit them about 6 or 7 times.  One time my Brother Jim, Sister Pat and I went to surprise Bob for his  birthday on November 1st. We  got their early, so we could show up at their home on Halloween, we knocked on  the door and yelled “trick or treat” and when Bob came to the door, we really  got him. We laughed a lot on that  visit. One of our (laughing) moments, my  sister and I offered to make a “southern” dinner. Joyce was very nice to actually eat our  food. We made catfish, hush puppies,  grits and okra. She was her usual gracious self, but I knew that she was laughing inside the whole time. Can you imagine two yokels from California  trying to cook a “southern” meal? The  catfish broke down into small pieces and hush puppies (made from a “box) burnt,  I think the grits survived, but were runny, and the okra I don’t remember, it  was sort of slimy when it is fried…but Bob and Joyce hung in there, like troopers,  eating (that mess of a) dinner…If I remember, Joyce ended up cooking something  else later so we wouldn’t starve. My  last visit with Joyce was last year when I traveled to Charlotte NC to visit my  daughter for Thanksgiving. We made a  side trip before our flight home. I am  grateful that my wife and I were able to see her. She was very ill then, but as usual very  gracious. I have a few more memories,  but I think I won’t bore you. She will have  her funeral on this Tuesday, December 30, 2014.  We couldn’t make it, because of health, but we were able to send  flowers, that both my Brother Jim and Sister Pat shared in the cost. She will  be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and  Sister-in-law.