Death of a dear friend

I learned yesterday of the death of my dear friend Marjorie Lynn Meadors Miller (Lynn), pictured here dressed for Halloween. She died in February of this year. No one from back home bothered to tell us, but then, we've been gone so long that I'm sure no one thought of telling us. I learned only of Lynn's passing from her ex-husband, Skipper Miller, who is now a nurse at Cabrini Hospital, where my sister Sheila is hospitalized. He said he'd tried to call my sister Sally (his former girlfriend), but Sally hasn't had a phone in a while.

Lynn was ten years younger than my husband and I. She was his employee at the Burger Barn, which we ran from 1977 or 78 until 1987. She was my kids' baby sitter. I was matron of honor at her wedding. We went to college together. I sewed all her attendants' dresses as well as Lynn's going-away dress. I don't remember, although I should, whether I made the wedding dress. I know I made one wedding dress, but I don't recall if it was hers. Why can't I remember that? My husband was her wedding photographer.

I painted a portrait of Lynn once. I gave her a dog (Terra) once. A giant piece of me has been ripped out, and I'm feeling cheated of not knowing about her fate for these several months.

I slept badly because I kept thinking about her. Now I'm exhausted and about to get out of here and go to the apartment. I'm probably not driving back to Grand Rapids today. It's raining heavily between here and there, and my husband won't be home until around nine o'clock tonight, and then he's got to be gone all day tomorrow, too.