ACT Blog

The Ball Sisters

In my formative years working at The Philadelphia Inquirer City Desk (from the ages of 17 to 25) I learned … I learned.

And one of the actualities I learned was:

“There’s a story in everybody.

For quite a while, my sisters have been asking me to write a column about them …

I have three sisters.

And it will please them for me to quickly note:  All three are younger than me.

Actual ages off the record.

So, here goes… Quickie stories about sisters Barbara, Dana & Jayne.

They have all been married, have children and grandchildren.

They use for their last names, as per custom, their husband’s last name (Dana & Barbara are widows; Jayne is divorced).

But all three are known among their contemporaries as “The Ball Sisters”.

TRAGIC QUICKLY STRIKES TWICE

Barbara & Dana became widows about two years ago via unusual circumstances.

Barbara’s life-time husband, Gary, & Dana’s equally life-time husband, Sandy, died just several days apart.

At the time, both were in Cooper Hospital, Camden, NJ.

At the time, both were in the same Intensive Care Unit, (with different problems).

At the time, both were in beds close to each other.

And, repeating, they died almost at the same time.

Unusual… Awful.  Sad.

The positive, however, is that their lifetime marriages were (if you ask my sisters) happy.

 FIRE

Jayne?    She has always been a maverick.  She is an independent, individualist with an outward-personality

My favorite story about Jayne occurred in our growing up days.

We all lived at 6429 N. Park Ave., East Oak Lane, Phila.

At the time of the story, Jayne who is 16 years younger than me was about six years old;

I was about 22 years old.

I was working at the Inquirer’s City Desk seated by the fire department alarm radio, 4^th Floor, 400 N. Broad St.

I was to take down the radio dispatcher’s info, and get it to a district reporter on the street.

A “local” came in.  A “local” usually was a smaller fire; a “box” was usually more serious.

This was a local, and the dispatcher said on the radio the fire was at 6429 N. Park Ave.,

East Oak Lane.

That was my address!

The fire was in my home!

My first move was to call home.  (I was still living there).

My mom answered.

She told me, family baby, Jayne was experimenting with matches in the back shed, attached to the kitchen.

She set a fire.  Accidently (of course).

But all ok.

The assistant City Editor, Joe VanHart allowed me to write the story.

Over the years, I have forgotten my lead.  But it basically reported that a six-year-old saved her family and home.  The child (my sister) discovered a blaze and quickly told her mom. There was time to put it  out before damage or  injuries.

In short, the story made her a hero.

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JOB SECURITY

Shortly after I went into business for myself, sister Dana worked for me as a secretary for several years, when I was still sort-of-new in a business of my own.

Her skills of typing…. she thought… were below par (I don’t remember – – conveniently – – any problems.)

But she thought I was going to fire her.

I remember she said to me:

“If you fire me, I’m going to tell mama”.

I never fired her!

Upon getting married and becoming a mother, she  . . . retired.

**********

As to sister Barbara.

She went for her first job interview right after graduating from Olney High School.

the interview/job was on Vine Street.  At the time not a nice neighborhood.

I was concerned.  So I accompanied her – – to check out the employer.

Can you imagine his thoughts about being interviewed by the applicant’s brother?

Anyway, he hired her.  He hired her!

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