Update on the Henderson Clan...

There are 4 living sisters left in the Henderson Clan. Actually, there are six, if we include the two sisters-in-law (Valoy Henderson and Florene "Lori" Henderson-Mickelson), and we do count them, too. I recently received a really nice update letter from Betty, who lives in Indio, California and keeps me up to date with a lot of the news, when she can. I am going to quote from her most recent letter, as follows:

"Dear Florene and family: I am sorry it took me so long to answer your letter. So many things have happened. I was going to Idaho in July but Ruth called and said Joyce was in the hospital in Idaho Falls and she was in lots of pain. The doctor took lots of tests and said she had last stages of Pancreatic Cancer. Within a few days she was gone. Enclosed is a copy of her obit. I got there the day after she passed. **(I will enclose the copy of the obit in an email -- can't seem to get it to go in here!)

"We went to visit Mabel (who turned 95 in July) and she was more lucid than she had been in five years. She knew us and she talked some.

"Ruth and I did Raspberry jam, apricot jam, and I helped her catch up on her sewing and ironing. Ruth's eyes are pretty bad and Loyd is (in) the early stages of Alzheimer's and his bowels and kidneys are giving him trouble. So Ruth has her hands full. He is not at the point of going into a home yet."

She went on to tell all about her girls and what they are up to and the lives of her grandchildren. And then she wrote, "I turned 89 years in February and I cannot do everything I used to do, but I am still living alone and doing the best I can. Doris is having some problems. She will turn 90 the 2nd of January."

It does my heart good to hear from my "first" family. They are all so precious to me and I love hearing from them while I can. They are all getting on in years -- Ruth is the youngest now and Mabel is the oldest. They are all octogenerians PLUS! Oh, how I would love to go visit them all just one more time before any more leave us.

The Henderson Clan is a wonderful family to belong to and I am so grateful for all that they have given me throughout the years in the way they live their lives.

Mabel (Henderson) Kellogg, Age 95