Thursday, October 19, 2017
Dear Jeff, Michelle, and Ainsley,
Claudie’s two remaining sisters, Recie and I, and her brother Lee join you in celebrating the life of our loving, witty, and talented sister.
She was a talented seamstress, very skilled in the art of quilting (the only one of five daughters who learned this art from our mom), and with such a gift for writing that Recie and I thought she should have pursued it as a career. The following is an excerpt from the 3 page letter she wrote to Mom and Dad after they got to Cairo, where Cliff was a visiting professor for two years:
Everything here is different. I like it so far, but it will take a while to get used to things. It is really exciting here now. The Camp David talks have pleased the Egyptian people...
Camel and goat herds really do go through the city traffic just like they’re part of it. They cause traffic jams you wouldn’t believe, but no one seems to get mad...People here aren’t in too much of a hurry for anything....
The shopping here is fun. Everything is bought in open markets....A lot of the vegetables are the same as at home, but don’t look the same. It’s really strange to buy white egg plant...
We live on a very nice street, not too far from Jeff’s school. He rides his bike every day. Kelly has a ride to school or takes a taxi...I’m glad we don’t live (right) in Cairo....Most people, of all incomes, live in apartment buildings, all 3-8 stories high, thus a large population in a small area.
Farewell, dear sister Claudie. You will live in our hearts and our memories.
