Friday, September 04, 2009

Scenes from the Past

Shopping in the Rio Rancho Target I ran into the youngest daughter of Minister at Mt Zion. Hubby and I were helping with this church when he came down with ALZ. Our lives have been combined with them for years.

The summer Penni was about 12 she was too old for a baby sister and too young to leave alone. I hired the Cates oldest daughter to stay with her. Maria started out making doll clothes with Penni. They moved on the clothes for Penni. Maria needed to help teach in Vacation Bible school in various churches around town. Penni went to school with them. I think we went to 4 graduation nights for the schools. It was fun to see that little blond in the middle of all those black little faces. Penni spent a lot of time with Annie, she is a couple of years older than Penni. She didn't know that Penni had passed away. Annie lost her mother to breast cancer the winter before Penni got sick. Annie's mother was so talented she could make the piano sing. Jo and I were very good friends. She called me from the hospital before she died I wasn't at home. Her phone didn't get disconnected, I could hear the family talking to her. I have always been unhappy that I didn't get to talk to her that last time. I don't know what she wanted to tell me.
Pastor Cates died a little while before Hubby did. Annie has two more littles ones that I didn't know about. I want to spend some time with Annie but when I see one of Penni's friends all I can do is cry. Annie has had a lot of death in her family too. I would like to try to be some comfort to her.

The summer Pat was the youth leader at one of our local churchs he gathered up some of the Cates girls. Queenie could play the piano like her mother. Just younger were the twin that were the life of any party. Pat gathered the girls up to help him with the youth group. He needed someone to play the piano for him. From the reports of the time they spent together it was fun. He still talks about it.

Cates had 6 girls and Annie was the youngest and had a terrific voice. She said she hasn't sang sence her mother died. Just as soon as I get home from having this knee done I'm going to call and see if we can get together.

1 comment:

P M Prescott said...

I made the mistake once of getting into a tickling match while surrounded by those girls. Nearly didn't make it out alive.