Memories of my sister Betty, by Leslie Mikesell Wood

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Memories I have of my sister Betty Lou Mikesell Erlandson   by Leslie Mikesell Wood, 1999          I can only rely on here-say about Betty when she was a young girl as I was not born yet. I remember hearing what a tom-boy she was when young, climbing tall trees and getting spanked for not coming down when ordered to. It wouldn't surprise me to hear she even got spanked the day she fell out of a moving car, because I came to realize that our dad spanked whenever he became scared.          She became very beautiful (inside & out), had lots of lovely clothes, lots of boyfriends and a great job, teaching dancing. I remember when she started dating a nice guy named Evan Erlandson. She warned us to be on our best behavior.  She introduced him as Earl Evanson. After their marriage we often heard, "No, we can't start eating until Betty & Evan get here", and "No, we can't open our Xmas presents until Betty & Evan get here". I guess Thelma & I can thank big sis for teaching us patience.          Betty went on to use her talents for the church, writing a play about Joseph Smith for the Zions  League to perform and writing poetry. She enjoyed ceramics, painting, and making fish lures for the  hobby she and Evan shared, fishing.          I can tell you what our late brother Jim Mikesell wrote about Betty in 1988 in a letter to me about his  life. "Betty & I were fairly close in age and she has always been a close friend to me. I remember her  trying to mother me somewhat when we were small and I can also remember that I was fairly rebellious. She was active, too, or maybe I should say too active, as a child. I seem to recall that she fell out of a moving car and I know she was an active tree climber. Lining the streets in the Almeda neighborhood were some very tall and thick poplar trees and it was, of course, ritual that the kids should climb them. Betty would have to verify this but I think she had a tendency to fall out of those too. Perhaps she was jumping though, because in the fall those trees would shed literally tons of leaves and those, raked into piles, would become tremendous cushions for jumping and leaping. Great gangs of kids would gather in the streets to play & she and I would be right in the thick of things." Jim went on to say how Betty was usually called away from play to do household chores as she was the oldest girl.          I don't think Betty had a great birth-position in the family, with a very mischievous teasing older  brother, Ernie, a very sick younger brother, Jim, and three baby sisters. After we all grew up it was  great when we all got together for huckleberry picking trips, family visits and the time Betty, Thelma  and I took a memorable train trip through floods to church conference in 1960.          Betty and Evan's lake home was always open to any and all of her family. I don't know what our family would have been without her but surely not as close and loving as we became. Betty is the only one in the family who is good at remembering our birthdays etc., with cards and keeping in touch with distant relatives by letters and visits. Often we'd receive a card that she had handmade especially for us.          Thank you for all you've done for me sis, I love you.  Leslie     <back to tribute page   TRIPLES with EMMA