Amanda Rebuck Howerter

My mother passed along a book that was my maternal great-grandmother’s . 

She would have been about 12 years old when she signed this.

A great ampersand from the back cover.

Although this photo was taken in 1942, this is how I remember her.  She was about 63, and sitting on the front porch of her home in Pitman, PA.

Amanda with my great-grandfather George Monroe Howerter in 1942.

My great-grandmother Howerter passed away in 1965. She would have been about 86 at the time. My only memory of her was when she was on her death bed. I would have been 3 at the time. I remember going upstairs into her bedroom with my mother and Amanda was in a very large bed. She seemed tired, but was very happy to see me. I was wearing this Ratfink ring and was probably fiddling with it. She called me over to her bedside and asked to see it. I tried to explain to her what it was, and I recall that though she didn't really understand what I was saying -- I was 3 and probably didn't speak very clearly or make any sense -- she listened intently, smiled, and said something to the effect that she was so glad that I shared my special ring with her.

Today, though the ring part is long gone missing, the Ratfink holds a special place in my typecase display.

More ampersands can be found here.