1020. I CAN DO THIS ! Emma Lois Smith, my beloved first cousin, survived 76 years with Cerebral Palsy!
I have had a dear cousin for 76 years, who has been an inspiration to me! The small necklace hanging over her photo on display at the funeral has a story! The pearl is unusual, in that it changed colors according to what she was wearing. It was given to her by a male admirer, but for some reason, she wasn't interested in him! She also had it fixed so the diamond from her mother's wedding ring was attached. She wore it every day! My mother, Ruth Allen Miles, had a sister just older than her, LaVern, who was Emma Lois' mother. My aunt LaVern was such an unselfish person! Their father, John Butler Allen, had died when they were young children, leaving their mother a widow with 8 children. As they grew up, they were very close, and helped each other, with 6 of the 8 graduating from college, and becoming school teachers. When my mother Ruth, who had a beautiful soprano voice, was in college taking vocal lessons, she worked in the home of her vocal teacher to pay