My Sister Willetta

Well, she really wasn't my Sister, but she was the nearest thing to it I will ever have.
As I have stated before she and Ronald made an attachment early on, and it ended
up with a wonderful family. What I remember is she filled the need I had to have a
sister of my own. She was always there for me when I needed her. She, I believe,
was the inspiration for my becoming a Clerical Major in High School. She was a
Book Keeper for the Bank of American in El Monte and had the most beautiful hand
writting I have ever seen. Back in those days there were no computers, or calculators.
All the bank business was done by hand. There were big old adding machines but
they were cumbersome and had a handle that had to pulled each time you entered
a number. Then when you wanted a total, you had to punch the total key. It did not
make for easy work, nor speed in getting the job done.
Willetta was never a thin person. She didn't have a hour glass figure, but she had the
reddist hair you ever saw, and a beautiful complexion. One very noticable thing about
her was she had a small gold filling, about the size of the led in a pencil, in the middle
of her left front tooth. Oh, and a laugh that was so infectious it made everyone laugh
instantly even if they had no idea what had made HER laugh.
I think she was a natural at livening up any party.
I can remember when Jay and I were first married we would go over to their house in
Downey and were usually invited to stay to have a meal. She could put together the
most tasty meal from practically nothing. I have seen her make a meatloaf out of
one pound of ground round and her unusual combination of things to add to it and it
would come out so lip smacking good and there was left overs after feeding eight
hungry people. I don't think anyone ever went away from her home hungry.
She loved to eat corn right in the garden where her Mom grew it and liked her popcorn
with buttermilk. If there was a cause to be helped, she was one of the first to be a worker
to get the job done. She had two hands like everyone else, and both of them seemed
to be "helping".
We were mothers together. She had Connie in October and I had Paul in December.
Mom (Edith Smith) had her hands full for awhile because Paul had pneumonia and
Willetta had a hang nail infect from changing a "dirty diaper" and nearly lost her ring
finger on her left hand. It took a long time to heal, and she was not able to take care
of Connie, so Ron would bring her and the kids to Mom when he went to work at the
Signal in the a.m. and Jay would bring me and Paul so the babies could get the care
they needed. Connie because of Willetta lacking the hand to do it, and Paul because
I was learning how to deal with a serious ill baby. Thank God for Mothers who have
the knowledge and the willingness to pitch in and give a hand.
Willetta was one of the first I believe to have catarac problems. She lost her sight
very suddenly and had to have surgery. Back then it meant wearing horrible glasses
because they didn't implant new lenses back then. She had a thyroid problem that
they treated with what they called an "atomic cocktail". They miss treated her and
gave he two doses which complicated her condition even further. In all of the problems
she had, she never seemed to stop treating guests in her home as family. She still
set a good table, and made everyone welcome. There were times I knew she was
feeling badly, but she carried on anyway.
I had the pleasure of making two dresses for her. One for Jeanne and Eds wedding.
It was white and I trimmed it with bright red ribbons and small roses. She looked so
pretty in that. Her hair had turned more strawberry blonde by then with the grey that
had added in. When she was invited to the Marine Corp Birthday Ball, I made the
second dress out of teal blue sheer with a under slip the same color. I took great
pains to bead the dress and she was so thrilled with it. When I took it over she did
a Loretta Young swirl in it. She really felt elegant, and looked the part as well.
I don't believe her health allowed her to wear the dress to the ball however.
After Mom passed away, I went to Ron and asked if he would allow me to take the
wedding ring Mom had made from the Diamond Cluster she always wore, into a special
ring for "Willie". I removed four of the diamonds and replaced them with four rubies.
I gave it to her just before their 40th Wedding Anniversary. She had never had such
a nice ring before, because her finger never was able to grow a nail right after the
serious infection she had. She did wear that ring for special occasions and I believe
that it went to Connie when Willetta passed away.
I love her to this day, and miss her so. I don't believe I could have had a better Sister
had she come to our family through the regular way. I am sorry the rest of the family
has not been able to know her.
Written the 3rd day of February 2009