Memories of Everybody's Best Friend: Bertha
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Memories of Everybody’s Best Friend: Bertha By Lawrence Hedblom (ed. Note: Bertha was one of those people whose last name was not required for people to know exactly who you were talking about. She was loved by all and she loved everybody. Below is a tribute to her life; the eulogy delivered at her funeral. Bertha was a blessing. To me, humor made any situation seem don’t talk too much, don’t step to my family, and, my guess is, to easier to accept. over her pole (and if you do, step everyone who was fortunate Ber had a gift with children. She right back where you came from), enough to know her. Bertha was connected with them in a way that and spit on your worms for good everyone’s favorite. Her laugh made them feel seen and heard. luck before you put them in the was infectious. There was an She could tease, laugh, coax a shy water. essential goodness about her. She one out of their shell, tell jokes and There were a few things Ber taught me the power of a smile play pranks. She also knew when didn’t like: thunderstorms and and a simple hello. Who could enough was enough and could set snakes. If it was thundering and resist that coming from her? us straight when we needed it. In lightening, everything stopped. Bertha came to work and live Castle Park alone, she touched She would hide until it felt safe. with our family 47 years ago, when literally scores of children across Once, she took a chair into a linen I was just three. She raised me and several generations. closet to wait it out. The closet was a second mother. At some A good day for Ber would start had moth balls and she fell point, a long time ago, she became a with some black coffee. She and asleep. Did she feel awful member of our family. She joined my wife Susanna bonded over afterward. After that, she decided us in celebrating birthdays and their mutual love for Maxwell that hiding under the bed covers anniversaries and we opened House instant. A good day would was a better plan. presents together on Christmas Day. be sunny and hot and include One thing she had a passion for Bertha introduced Emily and was kittens and cats. She was a Colman, my sister Carol’s perfect match for their impish children, as her own grandchildren, playfulness. I don’t think she and they were so proud. Bertha disliked snapping turtles on started out all those years ago principle but she didn’t like them caring for my sisters and me, and interfering with her fishing. If a up until just a few months ago, she turtle was unlucky enough to get helped my mother care for my tangled up with Ber, he’d never father in his last years at home. forget it. One time we caught two She was my mother’s constant turtles and put them in a heavy companion through all these years. wooden crate we found at the My mother said recently when Ber fishing. Ber loved to fish and lake; we dragged that heavy crate was in the hospital, “She was my dozens of us have fished with her. for two miles on a dirt road buddy.” Her cheer and good Long quiet stretches on Tibby’s through the woods; we were Lake, following Ber’s rules: going to make turtle (cont. pg. 2) 2 (cont. from pg.1) soup! We were, A good day for Ber would giggled. But, she got me back, that is, until my father gave a have to include playing cards. and she got me back good. With stern “no” and drove us back to She taught me to play rummy, the help of my two sisters, she the lake in just a few minutes. 500, poker and bid whist. She orchestrated an elaborate ruse Another time, we put a snapping played poker with Peter, Bill and the next morning to give me turtle, hissing and thrashing, in the boys and she always took away for good to the garbage Bill Carter’s shower as a morning some of our money. man. It felt terrifyingly real! I surprise. My own memories stretch shrieked and she giggled. Jewel was one of her favorite back to when I was a small boy. Bertha didn’t call me Stinker for fishing buddies. One time Jewel Ber and I had a game we played. nothing. and Ber took Gray Muzzy’s old We used to hide around corners Bertha was so generous and in station wagon to go fishing in and scare each other silly; then so many ways. She was fun and Michigan. When they got back, after we were shaking with she also had a presence. She had Ber asked Gray to keep an eye adrenaline, we’d call a truce. No a sense of dignity with people of out for a misplaced rabbit’s foot. more for the rest of that day; all ages and all classes, a dignity He thought she was talking we’d start it again tomorrow. that was powerful and humbly about one of those fake key This went on for a long time quiet. chain things. Two days later, until one rainy afternoon she We’re going to miss her laugh, what he found in his car had two scared me so badly I flew into her smile, Sunday morning bones connected at a joint, with her arms from across the room. pancakes, her patience and good quite a bit of fur at the end of it, I jumped such a distance, Ber humor. with tiny claws too. It was scared herself; we never played She wasn’t a church-goer, but Bertha’s rabbit’s foot. No fakes the game again. she believed. She read her Bible for her – she had the real thing! One day when my parents and she liked her gospel--like the When I saw Jewel and Bertha were out of town for several Blind Boys from Alabama. together, I saw trouble. They days, I crossed a boundary and Bertha was four feet 10 and always looked like they were up foolishly put a rubber snake in she stood tall. to something. her bed. She shrieked and I Calling all Artists! What about having an Arts & Crafts show this summer in early August? Artists of all ages Welcome and talents could exhibit their art, sell it and give a % of proceeds to the new tennis Our young people continue to courts. We could have the art exhibit inside replenish playclass! Congratulations the Castle and have a cocktail party around to the new parents! it. If anyone is interested in exhibiting their art or is interested Mary Elizabeth Ford-March 10, 2007 in helping make this happen, please email Katie Palmer at To President and Katie Ford [email protected]. I know there is a lot of talent out Meredith Joan Bay-March 2, 2007 there, let’s show it! To Hadley (Hopkins) & Mike Jackson Brady Mason-March 27, 2007 To Chris & Brandy (Hall) Managers’ Corner Ethan Michael Gould-Jan. 17, 2006 Wow!! Is it really spring already? This winter has been hoppin’ in the To Betty (Bustle) & Michael office. With facilitating the communication on the City Water issues, new Dade Paul Schissler-Nov. 25, 2006 tennis court construction looming, road names changing, etc, Bonnie isn’t To Dylan & Marie sure that she can identify the “off-season”, but there is no doubt that the “on- Emma Marie Trudell-April 6, 2007 season” has begun. To Nathan & Jennifer Mark was busy with his ministry work through the winter, but on Fridays he Elise Vivian Steketee-March 14, 2007 pursued his love of cabinet wood working and has reinvented the 23 year old To Steve, Jr. & Rebecca kitchen cabinets in the house. It is a lovely update and you are invited to stop Brian Brooks Steketee, Jr.-April 9, 2007 by and check them out. As of April 2 all of this changed as his frantic spring To Brian & Amy season began and by the time you see him he will be tanned (well, farmer’s Grady William Littlejohn-Aug. 24, 2006 tanned) and 10 pounds lighter than he was at the end of March. (pg. 7) To Janet Rumble & Matt 3 Tryon, NC Establishes the Carter Brown Museum. In Memoriam Recently the town of Tryon, NC voted to Our warmest sympathy to the establish the Carter Brown Museum— families and friends who have lost North Carolina Museum of the Horse. The loved ones. following is an excerpt from an article which appeared in the February 22 edition Bertha Wright-October 28, 2006 of the “Tryon Daily Bulletin”. Harriet Stibbs Meyer-November 24, 2006 Why Carter Brown? Betty Kelley-December 3, 2006 The late Carter Brown may be best known Nancy Gielow-December 31, 2006 as the founder of the Pine Crest Inn in Tryon. However, he is responsible for the significant equestrian Mrs. Henry Maentz (Marilyn)- January 16, activities in the Polk County region. Brown laid the groundwork for 2007 foxhunting and community interest in other equestrian sports identified with the Tryon area. In 1925, Carter Brown founded the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club. Its purpose was to promote horseback riding, encourage and promote horse breeding in the area, support recognized charitable Do you know someone who is organizations and promote equestrian education programs. looking to share our corner of Brown started the Tryon Horse Show and developed more paradise? The following cottages than 500 miles of riding trails through the beautiful countryside in still have some time available for Polk County.