Today I'm in Mexia, Texas, my hometown, attending a memorial service for Mary Clark Mortimer. Mary and I started out in first grade at W. M. White Elementary School, and we went through all twelve grades together. In some classes, thanks to alphabetical order, we sat next to each other.In 7th and 8th grades we often walked home from school together since she lived on the way to my house. I had quite a crush on her in those days. She didn't reciprocate, but that was okay. I still got to walk her home.
Judy and I went to her wedding, and we've seen her and Robert, her husband, many times in the years since, primarily at class reunions and informal get-togethers that have been annual affairs for more than 15 years now.
I can't believe Mary's gone. I'm supposed to say a few words at the service. I'm not sure I can.
10 comments:
Condolences in the loss of your friend.
It's hard to lose someone you cared about all those years. I'm sure you'll say what's in your heart.
I am so sorry Bill. As we age, we really hate losing our close friends. It is just so hard.
So sorry to hear that, Bill.
Jeff
Not a task I've been called upon to do yet, and I don't envy you in it...though, of course, sounds like she was a very good person to know for all these years, forgiving her early lack of reciprocation. Better times, Bill.
Thanks, all. I got through it. Wasn't the easiest thing I ever did.
Sorry, Bill. That's a great photo of the young lady. I'm amazed that you know someone from grade school. Being a wanderer, I've never had that experience. You were lucky.
Quite a few in my graduating class went went through all 12 years together. That's small-town America for you. Or it was that way in the long ago. Maybe not so much now.
Three or four of us even attended the same university.
So sorry about the loss of your friend. How wonderful that you had a friendship like that from grade school onwards. I believe the days of kids attending the same school together for 12 years are a thing of the past, even in "small" towns. One of my jobs at our school is to produce the student IDs. I noticed the other day that I had over 50 pictures in the "New Student" file--which means since August we've had 50+ new students enroll at the school (and we've probably lost that many too). Lives are far less rooted today; kids go back and forth between divorced parents; parents move for jobs or other reasons; etc.
Back in the Olden Days, parents didn't move around much, I guess. My class had only about 60 people in it, so we got to know each other pretty well through those 12 years.
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