Sad news

Just as we arrived in Alpine, the cell phone rang. It was not convenient to answer it at the moment, but the caller left a message. It was Betty Miller from Anamosa, Iowa. She was calling to let us know that Betty Remley had died on Tuesday. Tuesday, we were driving from Bartlett to Sioux City, and thought about visiting Betty, We often have on that leg of our trip in the past. But we had been encouraged to go through Galena, IL, which is a more northern route, so we decided to see Betty on our way back. It is a bit creepy to realize that she died that day. I don't know yet the time or circumstances of her death.

Betty was the choir director of my dad's church back in the 1940's when I was in high school. She just turned 100 years old late last year. We had last visited her on our way out to Wyoming in January. We had come to really look forward to those visits because Betty was so engaged in life right up to the end, a bright mind, good memory, cheerful, interested in what was happening, philosophical about her infirmities, never complaining - just a remarkable person in every way. And a real living link to my parents, whom she had loved. I will miss so much making those pilgrimages to Anamosa to see Betty!'

Her funeral service will be July 14th. It would not be easy for me to get there, but I am thinking about it.

Me and Betty back in January