Bank of Holly Springs

Close to Nowhere

My sister Jackie

As a child growing up I thought it was really not “normal” that I had a sister much older than me and who I’d only met a couple of times.

As I grew up I found out that even though my nephew was older than I and my greatnephew was older than my daughter, it wasn’t really strange. There are many combined families that are stranger than mine.

After I married and had children I began to be more curious about this sister that I didn’t know. I wrote her a letter and that began our sisterhood.

Jackie said she wasn’t sure how our part of the family felt and so was just laying low until she got a hint.

I’ve had many years now to get to know my sister Jackie --and her sister Rahe, who isn’t related to me at all. But, I’m operating on the theory that the sister of my sister is my sister, so Rahe is my sister anyway.

We’ve had lots of fun --daughter Dana, granddaughters Mere and Remy, Jackie and I, along with Rahe and one of her daughters and three of her granddaughters all went to St. Louis and the science museum, the parks and of course the famous Arch.

The line for the Arch was hours long, but Jackie and I had already decided that we’d sit on the benches so when the rest of the idiots we were with were hanging over the side, they’d have someone to wave to. The hours-long line was a turn-off, as we had limited time, so we went off to more museums and more fun.

Jackie and Rahe loved to play games. We learned Mexican train from them and one of my now favorites --Rummicube. Scrabble we already knew and loved.

Jackie, Dana and I have laughed often over one Scrabble game. Dana made the word “musician,” which nearly killed very competitive Jackie. Then Dana’s next turn she added an “s.” It was almost more than Jackie could bear.

Jackie’s kitchen table was a great place to be gathered around. She was a great cook and when we would be there, her son and my nephew Duke, his wife and their son Little Duke and then his wife, and Rahe and an assortment of her kids and husband would all pile in. It was wonderful.

Until he passed away, Jackie’s husband Harold was always the life of the party. He didn’t give up his motorcycle easily, as he aged, and Harold and Jackie wintered every year in Florida or Arizona.

Sometimes, on their way home, they’d stop at our house in Memphis, Tenn., or later, at our house in the wilds of Mississippi.

Harold always wanted something fried. They would have been eating out of the microwave in their Airstream and you just can’t fry in a microwave.

Jackie was born on Nov. 11, 1926. She passed away March 25, 2018, at the age of

91. She’d been in a nursing home for a year or so.

I’m so grateful to have had her the years I did. I’m grateful that my children and my grandchildren knew and loved her and Harold,

I’m also thankful for Rahe, the sister of my sister, who is also my sister, of my heart anyway.

Rahe and I, along with kids and grandkids, will have to continue to be sisters. Each of us will have a little piece of Jackie left for us to love. And we’ll have each other to lean on during hard times and I really hope we have many more games of Mexican train and Scrabble left to play.

Godspeed Jackie

Holly Springs South Reporter

P.O. Box 278
Holly Springs, MS 38635
PH: (662) 252-4261
FAX: (662) 252-3388
www.southreporter.com