Friends

Over the years I have had a lot of really good friends. I don't make friends easily but when I do, they stick forever. I recently lost a friend, Roberta or "Bert.". She and I went to UNL together and were P.E. majors. She wasn't the most beautiful girl in the world for sure, but she was my friend. We have kept in contact for many years and have seen each other only a couple of times when she came back to Lincoln for a visit with family. We had a late night date at the Villiage Inn with another school friend about 10 years ago. It was about 9 p.m. when we met that night and talked until midnight. Both she and our other friend lost their husbands a few years ago. I'm fortunate to still have mine. But that is another story.

Bert and I have written to each other a lot and emailed since that was invented. Her kids are daughter, Jean and son, JJ. I went to Roberta's wedding back in 1963. She had met a boy, Frank Nickerson, who was stationed at the Lincoln Airbase. He was being transferred back east and they got married before he left. She stayed in Lincoln until May, 64, to finish her last semester of school before joining him. They have moved around and settled in San Bernadino Valley California.

Bert found out she had lung cancer and had treatment for it. She was a smoker. She called me in Oct, 2006 and we talked for two hours. She said she was doing ok. Her sister had spent a couple of weeks with her and JJ was taking her for treatments. She had cats to keep her company. I always thought I would go spend some time with her. It never happened. It should have happened. It wasn't long before her emails were bouncing back to me. I tried to call her, no answer. Stupid me, I didn't know Jean nor JJ's phone numbers or addresses. Recently I called her nephew in Lincoln. Roberta had passed away on Jan 12, 2007. She had gotten bad quickly and was eventually in a nursing home at the last.

I miss her, my friend.