TRIBUTE TO ANITA AND THE DOLLS SHE GAVE ME

Anita was my sister and eight years my senior. We all loved and adored her. She was the most giving person I think I ever met.

She worked down the street, in the 4500 Proctor Street. It was near the town of Lakeview which doesn't exist any more. The little restaurant doesn't exist either.

I could walk there from where we lived on Trinity Ave. She would serve me a glass of "coca-cola".

Then one day I couldn't go anymore. She said I was drinking her profits. I was so young I didn't realize she had to pay for the drinks. I was just playing "store".

Then she worked at Glass Drug Store downtown Port Arthur on 5th Street about the 6 or 700 block. They sold "story book" dolls and every occasion she would buy me a doll. They were about 5 or 6 inches tall. One was a "Canasta" doll that had playing cards all over her dress. One was "Little Bo-Peep" that had a staff in her hand and looked like a fairy princess in pink.

My favorite which I still have are "Peter Pan and Tinker Bell". They are dressed in green. He looks rather like Robin Hood with the hat with a feather in it. "Tinker Bell" looks like fairy with "wings". I still have "Peter Pan and Tinker Bell". They are put away somewhere. When I find them I shall put a picture of them on this site. I think I still have the other dolls also.

I entered one of my dolls in a contest for the CavOilCade festival, Port Arthur had a long time ago. She was a dressed with a white gown and red cape. She was supposed to be a "queen". She won 2nd or 3 rd place. I'm sorry I don't still have the ribbon. I kept it for a long time but time gets away from us. I don't remember if I still have the princess doll or not. I was only 10 or 11 years of age at the time.

I must get pictures and post them when I get a chance.

The Old .38 Pistol

When I was about 8 years old my sister, Anita, was 16 years of age. My older brother, Jerry, was 15 and my younger brother, Tommy was 11.

One summer day, while my mom and dad were working during the day, Jerry and Anita had some teen-age friends over to the house. They were all in the kitchen discussing what teens discuss. Tommy decided he wanted in on the conversation and whatever was going on. You know how younger can pester the older. Well, needless to say, Jerry and Anita wanted their privacy and told Tommy he better scoot out of the kitchen.

That didn't sit well with Tommy so he decides to go get dad's .38 pistol. Now you have to understand the pistol was almost as big as Tommy was.

He walks into the kitchen brandishing the pistol and teen-agers scatter far and wide. Out the windows and doors and behind the fridge, any place to protect themselves. Who knows what can happen when a little kid is slinging a .38 around and around.

My part in this was, I heard all the commotion and ran to the kitchen to see what was going on. Jerry said, "Lanell, get outta here, go somewhere else." Needless to say we were all scared out of out wits.

Jerry being the "man" of the house finally talked Tommy out of the pistol and all was safe again.

To my knowledge mom and dad, to this day, never found out about that incident. It is a wonder we didn't kill each other, being left on our own during a hot summer day of the '50's.