Erna

Erna, four years older than I, is the eldest of the nine children in my family. She learned responsibility early. When mother gave birth to child number 9 in the dining room of our country home (It was the only room with a stove in it) Erna stayed home from high school. She not only assisted mother and baby, but also cared for other sibs who chose that same time to come down with some childhood disease. I don’t remember which disease it was, since eventually all of us had them all: measles, mumps, pink eye, scarletina, whatever.

Staying home for a while to serve as care giver did not seem to have a negative effect on her scholastic performance. She graduated #1 in her high school class, valedictorian.

She was awarded a college scholarship. She did not accept it. Instead she went to the big city of Austin to earn money as a clerical staff person for a financial institution. She had to earn the money so that her younger brother, that’s I, could go to the church’s preparatory school for service as a teaching minister in the church.

She helped pay my tuition and room and board. And since I was in the same city where she worked, we spent some time together. She taught me some much needed social graces. “When with a girl you must walk on the street side of the city sidewalk.” Or - “Leave at least a nickel tip.”

On the day of my prep school graduation I was stunned to receive a marvelous wristwatch as a gift from my family. I learned that Erna was financing it, $5.00 down, then $5.00 a month for 6 months.

Two months later I was at college, on the football team. Early in the season we returned to our locker room to discover there had been a theft. While we were on the practice field someone had gotten into the locker room stealing everyone’s valuables. My watch was gone.

When I told Erna she sympathized with me. Then she assured me that she would continue to make the remaining 3 payments on the watch I was never to see again.

In the some 60 years since then Erna has continued to be there, faithfully and lovingly supporting her little brother.