Editor’s Corner: My wacky sisters

Debasish Mridha once said, “A sister is a dearest friend, a closest enemy, and an angel at the time of need.”

According to Revis, National Sister’s Day is this week. Therefore, I thought I would take a moment to tell you about my sisters through an interview I once conducted of my mom.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann was born Aug. 10, 1950 at Clover Bend, Ark. She was born during the daytime at home in a small wooden box house with Dr. Handle doing the honors.

She was named after her Grandma Mary Elizabeth Russell. She was special because she was the first little girl.

She had cute blonde curls and would scream for her daddy every time he walked in the door. "She wanted him to carry her all the time. He turned her into a spoiled little brat."

Dorthy used to make her cute little lace dresses. She liked to play with her brothers and her baby dolls.

Mary was a little tattletale. "She would say the boys was hitting her when they weren't even touching her. She wanted everyone to pet her."

When she became older Mary would beg Dorthy to have more kids so she could stay home out of the field and babysit.

Judy Fay

Judy Fay was born Dec. 28, 1952 in a catholic hospital in Chicago, Ill. The family lived in a first floor apartment on Marquett Street.

"She was a prissy little girl who everyone thought was so pretty." Judy always wore pretty floral dresses made by mom out of flour sacks and trimmed in lace.

"I took her to get her picture made and she kept pulling the ribbon out of her hair. She had long blonde hair and she hated for you to wash it - she would scream at the top of her lungs. Every time I went to comb it, she would start crying."

She would twist her hair in knots and Dorthy would have to cut it out.

When Judy was a baby, Hubert injured his back on the job. He was in and out of the hospital and a wheelchair. Therefore, Dorthy said Judy had to stay in her crib a lot.

"Mary would try to play with her like she was a baby doll."

She was real quiet and was voted "most bashful" in school. When someone would come to the house, she would hide behind mom's dress tail.

One time, the family was driving down the road, the door came open, and Judy fell out of the car. She was unhurt- another miracle.

Ruby Carlene

Ruby Carlene was born June 19, 1955 in Chicago, Ill. The family lived in an apartment complex at 65th and Wentworth Streets. On the day she was born, Hubert drove Dorthy to a South Chicago Avenue hospital early in the morning.

She was named after her aunt Ruby. "She had real dark hair when she was born. And she was a mean little baby - cried all the time. She wanted to be held all the time."

Carlene was a little tomboy. She always wanted to play with the boys. When she was a little girl, her hair was full of curls.

One time she got a baby doll for her birthday, left it outside and a dog tore it up. She cried and cried and cried - til mom had to buy her a new one.

When she was a young teen, Carlene was playing "Red Rover." She ran into the house and broke her arm. She was always getting into some sort of trouble.

So, do you want to know what mom said about me? I guess that is fair.

Sandra Kay

Sandra Kay was born Oct. 5, 1962 in the Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Walnut Ridge, Ar. The rest of the kids were picking cotton. Hubert went to the store and bought hot dogs for them to eat. They were all connected together in a string.

Hubert told them they had a "little red haired sister." The other kids then went to stay at Grandma and Grandpa Russell's house.

Grandma Russell wanted to name her Melissa, but Dorthy had already named her Sandra- a name she got out of a book.

The next day was William's birthday and Hubert gave him $7 to buy a cake. He bought popsicles instead.

"All of the other kids spoiled her rotten."

When she was a little girl, Carlene sat her down on a barbed wire fence and ripped her leg open. Instead of getting help, she rapped a towel around her leg, and hid her in a closet.

When she was about four-years-old she was riding on a bicycle with Ronnie and got her foot caught in the spokes. "She didn't learn how to ride a bike until she was 10-years-old."

When she was in kindergarten she climbed up the slide the wrong way at the Clover Bend School and knocked herself out.

She loved her stuffed animals. "She had a monkey with a plastic banana and she ate the banana."

Well, that about sums it up! Aren’t you glad I didn’t tell you about my six brothers? lol

Happy Sister’s Day to my crazy, wacky sisters. Love you!

Sandra Brand is the editor of the NEA Town Courier and The Osceola Times. She may be reached by phone at 870-763-4461 or 870-563-2615 or by email at brand@osceolatimes.com.