Sunday, October 20, 2024
Julie was the youngest of a quartet of beautiful women who came into my life in the mid 70s, which included her mother, Carol. This foursome, of whom Carol and the other members would often refer to themselves as the "Smith Girls", after Carol's first husband and the girl's father, Tommy Smith.
I met Julie while on a trip to New Mexico visiting friends. I was instantly stricken by her stunning good looks, her wit and sense of humor, and her talent as she played the guitar and sang at gatherings. She needed a ride home to Fort Worth to visit her parents, so I offered her the lift.
On the way home, we visited and I learned a lot about Julie's family, her mother, Carol, her step-father Barney Rains, and her older sisters Debbie and Nancy. Since she and her sister Debbie were already spoken for, she regailed me with the attributes of her older sister, Nancy. I thought it was probably one of those "my older sister is great" stories, about someone with a wart on her nose. I just hoped that Nancy would be half as pretty and bright as Nancy.
When we reached her mother's and I was introduced, her step-dad, Barney was cordial, but looked with undisguised disdain upon this disheveled, bearded character standing before him, wearing a tank top and with hair down to his shoulders. Her mother, Carol, on the other hand warmed to me immediately after Julie told her I was interested in meeting Nancy, and furnished me forthwith with phone number and a photo. I subsequently phoned, dated, and married Nancy, which took place 49 years ago this November. Since then I have always loved Julie and cherished the memory of how she was responsible for my getting together with Nancy, who, by the way, didn't have a wart on her nose, but like Julie, was bright, talented, and beautiful.
Julie, Nancy, and I had other memorable times together, and when Julie and Nancy both had children, two boys each, our lives were intertwined with family activities for many years. Julie was a great dedicated Mother, and a favorite Aunt for my boys. They can recite in details the times Julie would entertain them all with excursions to the park, zoo, duck pond, etc. while entertaining them with songs oand fun stories.
Julie, with her beauty, talent, and wonderful sense of humor, never seemed to take herself seriously, and could, in fact, turn a minor miscue into a comedy skit, and so endeared herself to everyone, and especially in the memories of her sons and nephews.
As for me, i have and always will cherish Julie for the beauty of her spirit, and for introducing me to the family that gave me so much Joy for all these years, but especially for Nancy, the love of my life.
You will always live in my memory. Your loving brother-in-law;
Rodger
