Pam Rhodes
The three Tench sisters were Bertha, Myrtle, and my mother, Emma. When Myrtle had a daughter, she named her Nancy Maureen. Several years later, Bertha had a daughter named Nancy Virginia. So my mother, in order to keep them straight, decided on her own to call Nancy Virginia “Ginny” or “Gin”. I was born 6 years or so later. I grew up calling my cousin “Ginny” because of that.
As an only child, I looked up to her as the sister I never had, as I considered my cousin Karl my brother. The difference was she was so much older than me, we weren’t exactly very close playmates. Our parents would visit each other on weekends and holidays and have activities such as cookouts or go on fishing trips. My first overnight at Ginny’s house on Rittenhouse Street in DC, I was pretty little & Ginny promptly introduced me to watching “The Twilight Zone” and “The Outer Limits” on tv, causing me nightmares. I still cannot watch some of those episodes and think of her every single time I do. Ginny slept perfectly fine, of course.
My Aunt Bert and Uncle Ted doted on me like I was their daughter, without verbal condemnation, and Ginny somewhat resented that. That said, my parents did the same to Ginny, which in effect caused a rivalry between us. I adored my aunt and uncle and Ginny did the same for my parents. Until she was admitted into the nursing home, Ginny was my mother’s confidante.
Ginny was the adventurous one—the one who got in trouble, who back in the day would be considered a “wild child”, but everyone loved her for her warmth, her humor, and compassion. I was the straight shooter who mostly got in trouble for my sharp mouth. She was the “cool kid”. During the early years, Ginny went with us on family trips to Niagara Falls and the Smoky Mountains. Ginny, the adventurous one, was the one who stuck her finger through the hole on the top of my swing set glider and promptly got it broken—while I was gliding.
The one attribute Ginny and I shared was our mutual love of animals— from riding horses, to petting dogs, cats, and anything four-legged or with wings. Her first cat was her beloved “Rainbow” who loved Ginny and Aunt Bert and Uncle Ted, but tolerated the rest of us. Uncle Ted had his chihuahua “Chico” and later Aunt Bert had “Baby”. Later I remember her cat “Bum” that she had for years and I know she had many, many pets over the years.
When Ginny married Bobby, she hit the jackpot. The two were meant to be together—it has always been obvious. He has always been her rock—quiet, strong, hardworking, dedicated, and honest—and I am glad they have had each other. Everyone needs a relationship like that in their lifetime and few achieve it. The years after Joe & Susan were born and after I got married, we grew apart. We didn’t see each other that much, leading separate lives with our own immediate families, but there was always a connection, a bond—at least I felt that way. We bonded over animals, smartmouthing each other, me irritating her, & her ticking me off. We could go years without seeing each other and pick up where we left off. We had a symbiotic relationship that I will never have with anyone else.
I’ll miss you, Ginny. I love you. Thank you for being my “sister”.
—-Pam
