In Loving Memory

While we were in Kansas, I had got a call from my cousin that my aunt had passed away. Her name is Betty Lou Ratliff Fields. Her nick name was Bootsie. She had been sick and in the hospital the first of December. Then on right before Christmas the family had found out that she had tumor on her brain and cancer in her lungs. She lived about a week and a half then passed away on the 4th of Jan. She was 74 years old. My uncle Dan (her husband) had passed away a few years ago with cancer too. I will truly miss her. I have alot of fond memories of her. When I was little, I got a new puppy. I was with Aunt Betty in her car with my new puppy. It had got car sick and threw up in her car. I remember her being upset, but I don't think she scolded me. When I turn 16 she had made me a quilt. It was a pretty light blue quilt. I still have it. I have it put up.

My brother Billy and I had taken our Dad to the funeral. My Dad is the baby of family. He was very close to his sister. He has one sister left, which is the eldest of 4 children. It was very hard on him. The funeral was really nice. Another cousin had officiated the cermony. One of my aunt's granddaughters was the soloist. She has a beautiful voice. She had sung my aunts favorite song "Sweet Anointing". The picture below is of my aunt and my dad.

In Dec. 2006, I was able to go on a cruise with my aunt and cousin. I flew to Texas to meet up with them. Then we drove down to Galveston to meet the ship. We spent a week going from Key West, Grand Caymen and Cozumel. I had so much fun spending a week with them. My aunt and I were breakfast buddies, because my cousin is a late sleeper. Aunt Betty didn't meet a stranger, enjoyed everyones company. One day she and I tried to play ping pong. It was so funny. I hadn't played in years, so I wasn't doing very good. And she has arthritis and it wasn't easy to move very fast, but we had fun. This picture was taken on the ship. Catherine (her daughter), Aunt Betty and me.