Donna Sue Hollenbeck Burbrink
March 29, 1938 - June 7, 2010
It so saddens me to be sitting at my computer on Tuesday morning, June 08, 2010, composing my thoughts and memories of my best friend in Columbus, Donna Sue Hollenbeck Burbrink……and taking more than one day to complete……..I so share with her family and friends in her most untimely passing last night……….
Let’s go back in time, to the beginning of the school year in 1944, IF I counted correctly on my fingers, to my first day in school at Garfield. My mom walked me to school that day, and before the bell signaled that it was time to go to class, I met another little girl and her mom, right there by the merry go round on the east side of Garfield. This little girl was dressed in a blue and yellow plaid dress, had red hair, and our moms must have known each other, and introduced Donna and me. Little did our moms likely realize……
Thus, the start of a friendship that has lasted over all these years…………Donna lived west of my house at 7th and Hawcreek, over on Maple, between 6th and 7th Streets. For all of our Garfield ‘days,’ she made her way through the alleys to my house, and we always walked to school together-----------making sure we stepped on NO cracks in the sidewalk, that might ‘break our mothers’ backs.’ I truly only recall us quarreling once, and that day, one of us walked in front, the other behind-----NOT chatting.
Miss Hazel (Fodera) was our first grade teacher. The story goes that Donna and I were quite capable of getting into mischief,
with that being attributed to the fact that perhaps we were bored, and somehow or other, we did two grades in one year, thus ‘skipping a grade,’ so to speak, and then making the two of us the youngest in all our classes thereafter.
Donna was short and I was tall---------and lovingly referred to by many, as ‘Mutt and Jeff.’ Somewhere on these boards is a photo showing that very well, with a picture of the two of us by a poster ‘advertising the purchase of War Bonds.’ School days at Garfield, the memories are many………….when the girls were allowed to be the ‘patrol boys’ because the 6th grade boys got into trouble and that honor given to the girls. How proud we were, even tho’ we were then separated on the four corners around the school, and missing the ‘visiting time’ before and after school. 6th grade ‘yell leaders,’ NOT known in those days as ‘cheer leaders,’ and Donna, Kay Keesling, and I, and I forget who else, were selected to don the ‘blue and red Garfield colors’ to lead the cheers at the elementary school basketball tournaments at the Pearl Street gym.
When we started junior high at Wilson, the ‘walking process’ reversed and I made my way to her house, and then walked on together to Wilson, and later to CHS. When Cummins built the Indy race car in, what 1950, we always walked home via 6th Street, to watch the progress on the car, and you have to remember that the guys all went there after school, so ‘suspect there was method in our selected route home.’
Might add, that Donna’s folks had a TV, at a time when not many folks did, and they set up folding chairs, and many, many of us went to their house to watch the Indy 500 that year.
Perhaps the one story that Donna and I have laughed about the most over the years--------I always managed to upset my mom before I left for school-----most often over the fact that I hated breakfast, and pretty much rebelled at eating same before I left for school. My dear, dear mom, God bless her, knew exactly how long it took me to walk to Donna’s house, and Donna or her mom, would greet me at their door, saying, ‘Nancy, your mother wants to talk to you!’ It was like clockwork, and happened almost every day!!!
Of all my friends, Donna was perhaps the least likely to end up marrying a farmer/Lester, from a long line of farmers, and living the life that I would have loved to have had. I was more the ‘tom boy,’ perhaps due to our friendship, Donna always seemed to go along with ‘my choice’ of playtime activities. Many was the time that Donna rode the horse with me, never batting an eyelash, and climbing aboard to ride double--------making our way to the Saddle Club Grounds, or the fairgrounds, or just ‘exploring’ around the area.
The next, almost logical direction to take these memories, is perhaps Donna’s and my weekly trips to the library………….given good weather, we always rode our bikes, chose our books, and then parked our ‘transportation’ back of Uncle Jack O’Bryan’s jewelry store, so we could do just a bit of ‘window shopping’ downtown. (AND heaven forbid, should we see a ‘lady’ wearing shoes with ankle straps, as surely we thought they were ‘ladies of the night, and feared catching some social disease,’ and we would dart up one of those stairways along Washington Street, or better yet, get across the street and far, far away from any ‘bad influence.’) Our choices of books did vary, but being the horsey person that I was, and still am, I always searched for horse books-------Walter Farley’s Black Stallion books, and eventually books by Marguerite Henry, but there appeared on the shelves of the children’s section a short series about a pony named Windy Foot. These, I got Donna ‘into’ reading---------with the books taking place in, most likely Vermont. In particular, one:
Maple Sugar for Windy Foot, with the local area being described in such a delightfully appealing way, that Donna and I made a pact that when we were old enough we would live on a huge property, residing in and raising our families in separate houses, and make our living producing maple syrup. We each had a ‘vision’ as to what our ‘homes’ would look like, mine, an antebellum southern home, a picture of one like that hangs in my living room-------call that a ‘constant reminder’ of such a long standing memory.
The ‘near calamities’ that Donna and I ‘managed’ growing up……these two occuring along the banks of Hawcreek.
In the early spring, Hawcreek would overflow and flood the pasture field by my house. (AND NEVER as bad as the 2008 flooding in Columbus.) As the crick receded, there would be patches of standing water, and IF we were real lucky would freeze over and make a good spot to ice skate, or at least ‘slip and slide.’ There might be a bit of a thaw, and the horses having been cooped up in their stalls would really enjoy a bit of freedom, and do a rampage through the pasture field when let out. And usually would play havoc with our ‘ice skating rink.’ But not to let that deter us, Donna and I would still play on this ice. NOT a good plan, as we ‘slipped and slid,’ falling, of course, and Donna fell on a jagged piece of ice and got a horrid cut above her eyebrow…………..with the blood dripping, scared out of our minds, we had to go and ‘confess’ our dangerous escapade to our moms. Donna did have a nasty scar.
The other Hawcreek ‘fright,’ again during flood times, but the crick was at least within its banks, muddy water moving very rapidly, and that sight just beckoned three of us to go sit on the bank and watch this racing water, dangling our feet over the edge just inches from the water. Hey, don’t knock it, it was fun!!!!!!!!!! UNTIL the bank where Donna was sitting, having been washed out underneath and we never noticed that, and in a heartbeat, Donna was in the raging water, yelling for help, and the two of us still on the bank were plenty scared!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t remember by what means, but we rescued Donna-----------a very wet Donna Sue, to say nothing of us having to go to my house and ‘face the music,’ knowing full well that my mom would be beside herself realizing what a close call we had had. All in the days long before dryers, Donna had to wear my ‘way too big’ clothes to get home, and yes, the ‘music we had to face again’ with her mom.
In closing, one more memory---------of spending the night at Donna’s house, which we frequently did. Donna and younger sister, Bonnie, had a new cocker spaniel puppy. Cute as all get out, and I think was named ‘Cookie.’ Being a puppy, Cookie did some naughty things. On this particular morning, Donna and I were sitting in her kitchen with her mom, and Bonnie came in----------in tears, as Cookie had chewed up Bonnie’s doll that ‘wet’ when fed. Remember those dolls? Bonnie, in one hand, had the chewed up doll, and in the other hand, about a six inch tube---------and in her young innocence, looked at her mom and asked………..Is this what they mean when they say ‘straight gut?’ A true story, that always makes me giggle. Even now.
My own daughters, Paige and Polly, also have their ‘Donna and family memories,’ and they would never forgive me if I neglected to mention----------Donna and Lester’s kids, Jeff and Kim. In 1982, when we returned to bury my dad at Garland Brook, of course we went to see Donna and Lester and the kids. Paige and Polly are California natives, and had never been on a ‘for reals farm,’ nor in a small town too boot. Not something they knew anything at all about. Bless Lester, for he had left the recently baled hay out in the field so the girls could see that, and stopped along the gravel road late in the evening, between the corn fields, so they could ‘listen for the corn growing as high as an elephant’s eye.’ And Donna suggested that Jeff take the girls out ‘muddin’ in the pick up, and around town to get a teenagers’ view of Columbus. All within P ‘n P’s special memories, and sharing a friendship with me and my friends.
And inserting, just one more thought, no matter how many times I have called Donna over the years, and had her tell me, I still can NOT make my fresh green beans taste as good as she did! But I try every time I make them!
Treasured, treasured memories, over many years, and including several generations, and a bit of history, too. I know this is long, forgive me, but my heart is so full, and sharing these memories is a part of my healing over the loss of my dear, long time friend. DONNA. She will always remain in my heart and in my memories.
Shared with love, and with sympathy to her family and friends,
Nanc
with that being attributed to the fact that perhaps we were bored, and somehow or other, we did two grades in one year, thus ‘skipping a grade,’ so to speak, and then making the two of us the youngest in all our classes thereafter.