Cindy lost both her parents in 1958, she was eight years old. It was a traumatic experience for a vulnerable young girl. Her father had lung cancer, possibly because of his work early in life as a coal miner in Western Pennsylvania. He had been ill a while and the cancer was progressing, so he had to retire from his pastorate in the Methodist Church. They moved to Natrona Heights over Christmas of 1957 to be near her mother’s family for help as he was not expected to live long. In the late spring or perhaps early summer of 58 her mother became ill and unable to care for her husband so he went to WV to live with his son, Cindy’s half brother. After about a five week illness, her mother died of cancer. (Eerily mirroring Cindy’s short illness.) A few weeks later, her father died. These events left lasting issues for Cindy.
Her beloved Aunt B moved into Cindy’s family apartment and began to care for and raise her niece. I could write a book about Aunt B but since this is about Cindy will just touch here and there about her. She was an amazing woman and I am much better having known her. Bernice Sherrieb was an unmarried school teacher who began her teaching career in a one room school hired at the age of 17. She was unable to tell anyone until she turned 18 and it became legal for the superintendent to hire her. She later earned a teaching degree paid for by the school system because she was willing to undertake that teaching assignment that no one else wanted. It was a three mile walk each way and had eight grade levels. She was in her later 50s when Cindy and she began to live together. She quickly became Aunt B to scores of people, including many of her spinster school teacher friends. In the early 1900’s female teachers were not permitted to be married and many never did marry.
So Cindy now had a different atmosphere in life: her aunts, uncle, cousins, her family in WV and many retired or nearly retired teachers helped to forge her character. As did the ministers Aunt B “adopted” and the many friends in the church they attended faithfully. Faith, family, character, moral values, self-discipline, service to others and education permeated her life and these standards never wavered. Cindy’s character, kindness and internal joy were part of the attraction to me, many of the things I longed for but did not know how to achieve. On those long talks on the stairs to her second floor apartment (see yesterday’s post) we bonded in the common dreams we shared for a preferred future and so deeply over loss. Her parents, my father died when we were young and that is but one example of God using something negative in life and making good come from it. Our relationship was definitely shifting.
Aunt B with her ever present purse and matching dress
A younger Aunt B when she came to live with Cindy, I think that is cousin, Marsha
Geof and Aunt B, Bert is the baby Jesus in this little play.
Gregg with Aunt B