H.P. Meyer’s last and longest-remembered wife. Born December 27, 1901, Escondido — died January 20, 1981, El Centro.
The kind of woman who named her breasts William and Oscar, traveled to China in her 70s, got caught on camera at a Bob Hope show laughing her head off, came home with hundreds of terrible slides, and made the whole family sit through the presentations.
She cooked ambitious recipe experiments from Sunset magazine for Amy and me. She kept notes in her dress pockets recording where and when she’d worn each one. She had a scotch before dinner as a matter of principle, and delivered it with a line: “I feel like the Russian army marched through my mouth with their boots on.” She lived simply in a small apartment in El Centro and traveled extravagantly whenever she got the chance.
Her line on her own age: “I was born in the year 1.”
I last saw her through a hospital window. I wish I’d taken better notes.