RON MALY HAS BEEN WATCHING THE PARADE GO BY FOR A LONG TIME. THIS IS ONE OF HIS WEBSITES.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Marilyn


This was 70 or so years ago. The little girl from the city 50 miles away would come out to the house on the
farm to visit relatives. The little girl was four years younger than her cousin. The little girl and her older cousin [actually, she was little, too] would talk for hours. They would dream about going to California. They knew they'd go; it was just a matter of how they'd get there.  It could be in an airplane, it could be on a train, it could be in a car, maybe even a bus. The years sailed by. The little girl married and had a family, moving from one city to another. The older girl had been born with some physical problems, but she was a fighter nonetheless. She stayed in the close-knit farm community, becoming an accomplished pianist. She could play the piano so well that she taught it to anyone who was interested in learning. She remained vibrant. She was witty. Finally, she began spending more time in her wheelchair, and lived her last years in a care center. The little girl had gone to California a number of times, taking a train once, flying there more than a half-dozen other times. The little girl and the older girl would see one another at family reunions, picnics in July, weddings and funerals. As always, they enjoyed visiting with one another. Sadly, the older girl never got to take that California trip she talked about so much. Her name was Marilyn Neuhaus, and she died the other day at the care center, one day short of her 81st  birthday. Her funeral is Tuesday at St. John's Lutheran, the country church near Victor. The little girl will be at the service. Looking back, one or two people wish they'd taken the time to arrange that trip to California for Marilyn.

[Text by Ron Maly; photo of Marilyn Neuhaus courtesy of Smith Funeral Home in Victor].