An Angel That Lives

By EDWIN B. PETERSEN

HELLO FOLKS! — Perhaps most of you read "Mary Worth" in the Tribune. The fictional Mary Worth is always traveling around doing good. Have you ever run across a real live "Mary Worth"? I have.

Her name isn't Mary Worth, but the nature of her living can be closely described by it. Her real name is Winona Brookbank. She is better known to her host of friends a Grandma B.

The other day a card arrived from her stating that she would soon be through this area and would like to stop over for a day. We were, of course, delighted. Two years ago when she landed in this area she turned out to be a real "angel of mercy." Here is how it happened.

I was at a church metting in St. Paul when someone introduced me to this lady. She was planning a visit to Leroy east of Austin, and wanted to know how to get there and what transportation connections were available.

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I WASN'T SURE that there were any, but told her that if she came to Austin and couldn't find transportation, to call the Edvera farm and we would try to get her there.

When she called I took her to her destination and that evening invited her to our home for supper, as she didn't have any other place to go.

About this time wife Vera was having a very severe time with an infection. She realized the next day she would have to go to the hospital. That was all it took for the real, live 'Mary Worth' to go into action. She called from Austin the next morning, saying she felt compelled to offer her services in out home if a stay in the hospital was necessary.

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THE STAY LASTED nearly three weeks. During that time Grandma B. really pitched in, even to baking bread and churning the excess cream into butter. The children loved Grandma B — just took to her naturally.

A lot of other people also helped out during the situation we were in, but in the case of Grandma B. it was more uncalled for. She had never seen us before; nor had we her.

This is typical of this great lady. When she visited us last week we found out that she has been doing this sort of thing ever since she left here.

Her eldest son's wife was in precarious health. She took over there until the wife was well again.

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LAST SUMMER HER son-in-law wanted to further his education, but with three young children to feed it would be pretty hard to do unless his spouse could find a teaching job. In turn it would have been pretty difficult unless there was someone to care for the children.

Grandma B. went to the rescue. She offered to care for the children and that is what she is doing now, while Leon is getting better educated and daughter is teaching.

Grandma B. has been active all her life. She reared 9 children, all of them upstanding citizens. After they were left fatherless at an early age Grandma B. went back to teaching. She has had nearly 40 years of teaching experience.

Grandma B. is not a young person anymore but she still substitute teaches on occasions, and she is still young at heart. When she hears dancing music her feet can hardly stay put and she can still keep up with a good many people 20 years her junior.