Saturday, August 31, 2013
MaryAnne spent teen-years' summers with us on Conesus Lake. She was born six months before me, and Holly a year after. Think 'teen girl triplets.' We giggled a lot. We kept Dad awake week nights. On Saturday morings, Mom played LPs of operettas, while we cleaned. We went to Long Point a lot. Days we were on boats, in the lake and wth our mutual friends. We didn't want MaryAnne to go home, but Mom said her sister (MaryAnne's mom) loved her daughter too much and would never forgive her sister for keeping her. HUGO: MaryAnne's part of town was devistated and, for 3 weeeks after the storm, without electricity. Aunt Louise, in her late 80s and becoming frail, lived with MaryAnne and her rescue animals, while MaryAnne worked long hours on an odd schedule as a Victim's Advocate. Yet, MaryAnne made sure that her mom, "Cookie," kept all medical appointments and ate well, even when it required long, difficult walks to get there (gas shortages), and that Cookie had everything in the house that she needed or liked. MaryAnne was crushed when Cookie entered the nursing home. Yet, MaryAnne continued to do for her mother and visited at least once, daily. Aunt Louise died at age 94, a month before our mom died at age 86. (Their brother, Lt.Col, Phil Linn, USA(R), passed several years before.) I bless and praise my sister, Holly, for giving our cousin that same care during MaryAnne's difficult illness. MaryAnne was a good person, through and through. She brought sweetness and beauty wherever she was. Surely she is at peace, enjoying a summer day, riding on the bow of a Penn Yan Swift as it "jumps" wakes and leaves a high rooster tail in the water.i
