Aunt Betty was not truly my aunt, nor truly related, but she was an aunt to me in every sense of the word, and a beloved friend to my mother, one of her best friends of hers ever.

She was a funny person with a lovely sense of humor. One of the coolest things about her was that if you didn't know her, you could size her up wrongly based on appearances. Betty worked at an exclusive little boutique dress shop, the Alfred Holman Dress Shop, and was always beautifully turned out- a great dress, all the right accessories, her hair always "done", lipstick that coordinated with the bold polish on her perfectly manicured hands. You might think she was so perfect she wouldn't melt butter, but Betty was a wonderful earthy lady with a sense of fun, a great smoky voice, and she loved to laugh.

My mom and I were frequently mistaken for each other on the phone due to the similarity of our voices. I'd pick up the phone to hear this sultry voice breathe "Luce..." (with no introduction) for my mom Lucy. I'd tell Betty who it was and then she'd breathe my name. She just knew (and was right) that no lead-in was necessary because you'd know right away who was calling.

Betty got breast cancer. While I can't recall her age or what year, I remember her operation and subsequent healing. I remember she wore a tight bandage on her one arm from some swelling she got in it related to the surgery, I think from the removal of lymph glands. She was in her usual cheerful spirits and had little outward doubt that all had gone well.

If memory serves, she was given the all clear, and just had to do follow ups for some years to be declared home free and done with it. That time period back then was, I think, seven years, and it was in year six that she had a recurrence from which she could not recover, and we lost her.

While losing Betty was devastating to all of us, my mom had never lost so close a friend before, and it hit her quite hard. Betty had a lovely family too, two terrific kids who grew into fine adults and parents themselves, and a good husband who was my dad's close friend when he was growing up. Everyone was at a loss for a long time.

Betty married into one of Allentown's oldest families associated with the printing trade. Her father in law's obituary is here and includes a link to a history he wrote of the county and city's printers and newspapers.

Betty was the daughter of Joseph T. and Helen (nee Lawton) Hummel. He was from Allentown, she from the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Betty's grandpa is here and seeing his one spouse may suggest how Betty was inspired to name her daughter.