My Sister Julie (Part 1 of 8)

Julie was born in 1966 and was the first child born while we lived in our “new” house. Mom was pregnant with her when we moved from our home at 230 Wilson Avenue to 5145 South 1045 East in Salt Lake City. She was born fifteen months after Karen was born which is the shortest span between any of my siblings. When I was in first grade and Julie was very young, we had the same room. We liked to build houses with blankets and visit our “cousin warms.” Vera called her “Jows” but I called her Julie. Dad called her Jewel. We had a childrens song book and one of the songs was Chu Chu the Big Train. I would sing it to Julie as she was crawling or barely walking, but I would sing it this way, “Ju Ju the Big Train is Coming Down the Track Now.”
Julie seemed to never do anything wrong. Of my parents’ eight children, I’d have to say she is the most obedient. When she was old enough to go to Junior Sunday School, she got a man teacher who was probably just off his mission, named Brother Haws. Julie’s comment was that he stamped his foot if he got upset.
Julie, as she grew up, seemed to have a natural humor. She never tried to be funny but the things she said came out hilarious. She was the funniest person in our family. Once she and Karen were listening to the Story of Ruth in the Bible. They were intrigued by her saying, “I will die were you die, your people will be my people.” It seemed almost natural for them to come up with the additional phrase, “Your sleepy dust will be my sleepy dust.”