She took her last breath early this morning and passed on leaving behind her all the medical equipment standing by to prolong her life and a daughter and four grand-kids devastated by her loss. As I watch the FB page fill up with condolences and words of comforts, I know that Jeri would be amused and pleased that her life touched so many people. Technology can sometimes be a crazy, wonderful thing.

I first met Jeri in 1979 when we both went to work at Millett Sights in Southern California. Jerie was responsible for painting the sights on the guns and I was the shipping clerk. We became instant friends.

At my “Thank God You are NOW Divorced” Party (I was previously married to a really bad guy for ten years) she presented me with my gift (a coffee mug proclaiming I was now single) and admonished me to not tear the paper opening it! I think back in those days, I was on my third margarita with my friends when I opened up their gifts. I was puzzled and asked her why and she explained that she had gone out and bought this paper called the Singles Register and gone through the entire thing (which was crazy because one thing Jeri did not do was read well!) She had highlighted several ads that she thought I might answer, because as she said “You are a writer after all!” So I carefully found my way to the gift without tearing the paper much. Mike’s ad was one of the four she had found.

It took me several months to get up the nerve to write that letter. I look back and think if we had cell phones then, she probably would have been texting me every day “Have you written him yet?” Well, I wrote him and I remember when the letter came, I called her and she came over- and over hot chocolate and salsa (I know yuck right?) LOL I read her his letter and the rest is history. We wrote for four years, I went twice to meet him and his kids and finally in 1987 left California to marry him and start our life. She was able to come and stay with us for the summer and we went fishing in Homer and up to Denali and saw all kinds of wildlife usually not seen.

I loved her like a sister and I will miss her laugh, her directness and her sense of humor. Like me, she had many rescued animals in her life (especially birds) so I imagine at 2:39 a.m. there was a lot of activity going on in Heaven waiting for her arrival. The Bridge had to be crowded with both people and animals waiting for this new angel to arrive.

I will miss you my friend, but the only certainty in life is death and you will live on and we will meet again. Goodbye Jeri- God Bless You and I will be here for Jodie should she need me. I love you-