My friend, Berta

Roberta Ann Rayment Oliphant  2/11/1956 - 3/5/2016

Yesterday was one of the saddest days of my life.  I lost my friend, Berta,  to cancer.  We knew it was coming for weeks when the chemo wasn't working and they were calling in Hospice.

I have known Berta forever.  She was my oldest friend. We moved from Alderwood Manor to Kirkland when I was 5 years old and we started kindergarten together.

Our parents were such great friends. The spent a lot of time together. So of course we were all friends and all together a lot. Leon and Phyllis were just like our parents. They lived right through the cow pasture from us.  We were always at each others houses.  My brother Doug and her brother Dennis were best friends and the same age.  We had a bunkhouse behind our house they hung out in.  Her other brother, Rick and I played with a lot too.  He was a year younger than Berta and I.  One time (we always laughed about) Berta and Rick were fighting and I got in the middle. Berta shoved me and I fell and got a concussion ... or bruised brain. Never got between them again!
We went all the way up to 7th grade together and then we moved to Kingston.  Two or three years later Berta's family moved to Kingston. They bought a hair salon and named it Phyllis's Cameo and lived behind it.  It was so nice to be together again.

 She met and hung out with all my friends. Right away she met my friend, Scott.  Such a cute couple!

We all graduated together!

Graduation picture

Of course we celebrated all the class reunions together.....

5 year class reunion 1979

1994 20 year reunion

2004 30 year reunion

2006 picnic

On February 19th of this year they celebrated their 40th anniversary.

They have three children.....

Daughter, Christy!

Son Casey

Son Collin

Berta is a grandma too....a very proud grandma.

Berta turned 60 on February 11th.  Here are some beautiful pictures of my friend and her family.  I will miss her smile and laugh so much.

With her family.....

It is hard for me personally because there were so many missed opportunities to spend together.  After children etc... we saw each other once in a while but our pact to have lunch for our birthdays never seemed to work out. We did make a few times but not every year like our mom's did.  Berta was a hairdresser. She did the hair for Tara's wedding, did Karla's hair for her tolo or prom, did my hair a lot and my mom's after Phyllis passed away. She was always there if we needed her.  The love and friendship we had went deeper than most. One of those that no matter how long it has been since  we talked it always seemed like just yesterday. In January we got on the phone and talked so long and laughed so much.  I know she got tired out but we just couldn't seem to cut it off.  I went and visited her in February and was so shocked when I went into her bedroom.  She was so week and we still visited and I still managed to see her smile and laugh.  However, when I went there last Saturday, the 27th I was really unprepared for what I saw.  Berta had lost so much weight.  I was left alone with her and held her hand and kissed it.  I rubbed her arm.  I gave her sips of water.  I told her "I love you." She whispered, "I love you, too."  I left her to sleep and went and visited Scott, Christy and my daughter Heather.  Before I left I kissed her again, held her hand, held Scott's, and said my goodbyes. I knew I wasn't going to see her again in this world.
But, I will see her again....whole and healed.... happy and laughing with our parents.  What a day that will be.  For now this world is just a little darker with her gone.  She is someone who touched my life like no other will.  Love you, Berta!