January 21

Today is my sister Ethel's birthday. She is no longer with us but I have very many fond memories of her. Both my sister Ethel and Helen were very good to me. She was named after my mother's twin sister who died young and she never really liked her name which was Ethel Bessie. My mother's was Edna Jessie so you can see why in the time my mother was born were great names. My sister always went by Bess. I think I spelled that correctly. She was great about sticking up for me and now my sister Helen has to do it. Of course my five kids stick up for me most of the time unless I displease them. I know my mother's twin was buried in a cemetery in eastern Topeka but wonder if the highway has displaced the cemetery. My mother said that in the fall that she and her brothers and sisters would take their wagon and walk to the cemetery and pick walnuts, It seemed like a long walk from Polk Street to the cemetery but they were hardy souls. I remember that I was there once on Memorial Day but it is kind of hazy at 87 years.