My Aunt Barbara and Beth were quite competitive each in their own ways. I always thought Aunty Barb was a little envious of Beth’s government career with the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) as Beth was one of the first women agents. Later in life when Beth contracted the disease Emphysema, she was always short of breath on hikes and Barb kept kidding her about not being able to keep up with her. Her disease got progressively worse and she had to have oxygen packs which she detested and often fought against.
Then again there were the religious wars. Beth was a Christian Scientist who believed in divine healing even though she was never delivered from Emphysema though spending quite a bit on Christian Science practioners and healing centers. Barb, on the other hand, was Full Gospel with her husband Willie.
Once while watching a medical segment on healing at 60 Minutes on CBS Beth began singing at the top of her lungs to which Willie angerily stated that he would do not work for Beth that summer if she continued. She also once asked me how Barb and Willie would react if she replaced their picture of Jesus Christ in their summer room with one of Mary Baker Eddy, the patron founder of Christian Science. That event would have brought upon World War Three.
Though they loved each other dearly, they bickered like sisters do back and forth. There always seemed to be the slight bone of contention between them. In the end Barb had a stroke and was even weaker than Beth and soon thereafter died. Barb was always so industrious that the stroke must have been very painful for her as it slowed her down in a way she was not accustomed to as Beth’s Emphysema eventually did to her as well.
Big Bass Lake & Beyond 