Betty

When I was a little girl in the Holy Ghost, I would walk by a most beautiful cabin.  The sign on the porch said "Bradford," but I never met Mr. and Mrs. Bradford.  Soon the sign changed to "Percy."  My cousin, Bob, would talk about Mr. and Mrs. Percy.  We later learned that the Bradfords were Harry's parents and the cabin was still in the family.

After our children were born and we began to spend more time at the cabin, we would see Harry sitting on the porch, drinking his coffee.  We would stop and visit, sometimes as early as 6:30 a.m.  What started as an infrequent thing became a "must do" as we frequented the cabin more often.

We would sit on their porch, waving as cars drove by.  Harry always had a pot of coffee going, and he would refill Don's Southwest Chief cup as often as necessary.

If we were there in the afternoon, we might even be offered some of Betty's homemade ice cream.  I don't know how many ice cream freezers she went through during her years in the Holy Ghost, but I know it was several.  She was well known for her delicious ice cream!

When Don and my kids surprised me for my birthday last May, Don made sure to include the Percys in the celebration.  On Sunday morning, we all went to Frankie's for brunch - a Sunday morning Percy tradition.

We returned to the cabin over Memorial Day and saw Harry and Betty several times.  We left on the Thursday after, the fire started that day, the Percys were evacuated, the forest closed, and we did not get to see them again.  We just counted on seeing them both again next year.  But it is not to be.  

Thursday we received the news that our dear friend Betty had gone on.  It was like a kick in the gut.  It couldn't be.  Betty was not supposed to leave us so soon.  But I guess that is not for us to say.

We are planning to go to the cabin next week to winterize it.  The trip will be bittersweet.  But when we are there, we will take some time to reflect on our good times with Betty, to thank God for her presence in our life.  We are grateful that she shared her children and grandchildren with us, that she was so giving of her time, that she treated us as friends.  The world is a better place because of Betty Percy.  May she rest in peace.