On June 1, after a long bout with severe pulmonary illness, my youngest sister, Martha, passed after refusing her only choice remaining of being hooked up to a respirator. Baby sister she might have been, but she was one strong cookie to make that decision. Living on a respirator is no quality of life and I think she didn't want to burden her sons Winn and David with that.

We grew up on a farm outside Richmond,Va. with only our imaginations for entertainment. TV was unheard of and each Friday nite we would listen to The Intersanctum [ The 40s answer to Stephen King] on radio. The program was so scary to us that Mary Lou, Martha, and I would huddle under the covers of a big bed, and Martha would scream each time "the squeaking door" on the program came unhinged.

Mary Lou and I were both independently ornery [ still are ] with definite minds of our own and prone to set Daddy off kilter with our antics. Martha was "The Great Mediator" of the family and could quikly "cool" Dad off by wrapping him around her lil finger, thereby stabilizing the "Archie Bunker" family.

Growing up I used to pick on Mary Lou incessantly! I kicked her out of mother's first 4 door car going 55 mph, hit her with croquet mallets, and ran her over with my pony more than once. Because she was so sweet, Martha escaped all that trauma.

After high school and college, Marth married up to a young dentist, Ritch Perry, out of Roanoke,and they took up residence in Richmond, close to hand. Martha got Ritch to work out a family discount for dental work, which amounted to raising his usual prices by 30% and then giving the family a 20% discount. Pretty shrewd sister, she!

Marth & Ritch foaled a pair of twin boys, Winn & David, who, when growing up would begin crying as soon as I walked in and not stop til I left their house. The boys grew up, and graduated from UVA with honors. Disappointingly, Marth & Ritch ultimately split, but it was what they both needed and they remained good friends, as did we all.

On June 1 Lil Annee was already on a plane to Richmond when I got the sad news. So, thanks to a second nephew with Travelocity, I got a quik flight to Va. for the funeral. I have to say Winn and David had stepped to the plate and had everything handled and in place by the time I got there. There was a huge turnout at Second Presbyterian of family and friends to see Baby Sister off to a better life.

My sincere thanks to Winn and David for being such wonderful nephews and sons. And, thanks to Ritch for standing by them and the Laird's in such a sorrowful time.

SURE AM MISSING MY BABY SISTER!