"Three First Ladies"

from: But You can See It, by Emil B. Fries

In 1970 Emil’s wife, Nettie, died. Signe came to help with the house and care for his needs. Emil wrote:

Signe was willing to stay and assist me for at least six months. Being the eldest child and nine years my senior, Signe was my refuge many times as when I ran to her for a mustard plaster on my smarting sitter. Now when I needed her, Signe, at the age of seventy-eight, became my "Second First Lady." She kept the house, took care of the many antiques for Jean, and helped me in many ways. About her first bit of advice was, "Brother, now don’t do like a lot of old men, rush into a second marriage and be sorry for it the rest of your life. Don’t do it in less than a year." I appreciated her sage admonition and promised to heed her suggestion.

It was my good fortune to have visited many times in the Hanson home and become close to each of Signe’s exemplary children. Signe had chosen to carve a new life for herself when the youngest was through college and married. At the age of fifty-eight she took up nursing, earned her diploma, specialed in hospitals, and cared for private patients in their homes. After her retirement in 1970, she visited our Friis family in Denmark.

Signe took long walks most days, as much as ten miles. One evening she said with enthusiasm, "I had a lot of fun today, got lost and had to walk an extra mile to get my bearings." She would take her unique covered Danish shop-ping cart and go to the various markets. She used a pedome-ter to measure the miles so as to not overdo her hobby. Once I came home for Saturday lunch and asked if she had gone on her usual walk. She said, "No, but guess how far I have walked inside this house. The pedometer credits me with two and a half miles."

Each of Nettie’s hats that she donned, she wore with distinction and everyone marveled at her ease of accom-plishment. When complimented, she would merely say, "It’s only what Nettie would want me to do."

Signe always seemed to have food on hand for a student or two, a grandson that I might bring home on short notice, or even guests to stay all night.

She found time to stop at the Piano Hospital to chat with the instructors and students. They still speak of her with fond memories and mention some little favor that she did for one of them. Whether in preparation for Christmas parties, school picnics or Commencement Banquet Pro-grams, Signe gloried in the challenge. She attended church with e, became interested in the work of the Fort Vancouver Historical Society and worked certain days as a volunteer tending the Clark County Historical Museum.

As a good citizen she continued her civic interests in Tacoma by never missing a school or general election. Un-like many oldsters she cast her affirmative vote for every school levy or bond issue for city betterment.

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Before Nettie’s estate was settled, Signe worried about her antiques and watched over them with great care. They were to go to Jean, but I hated to break up the many beauti-ful groupings. I suggested that we have my grandson, Doug, take pictures of the arrangements of dishes and furniture to capture the entire decor of the rooms as Nettie left them. Doug, too, liked the idea of preserving in pictures his grand-mother’s exquisite collections. I asked Signe if she would like the honor of assembling the pictures into albums. She real-ized the magnitude of the undertaking but accepted. The hand-assembled captioned album contained one picture of Nettie in the living room and twenty-one excellent views of her various arrangements throughout the house. One album would have been a big accomplishment but my dear sister made thirty-eight of them, one for every family member and several close friends as Christmas gifts.

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During a Sunday night snack in March, Signe broke the silence by thumping on the table and saying, "Brother, a year from now I want another woman sitting here in my place." I kidded her about her earlier advice on not getting married too soon. She responded, "If you don’t start dating, you’ll be stuck with me longer than will be good for either of us."

Emil met and began to date Wilda Hawkins, whom he eventually married.

When Wilda came to get me next time, she met Signe.... The next morning at breakfast I asked Signe, "How did you like my date, Wilda?"

Signe stopped mid-kitchen and said, "I liked her. She was well-dressed and I’ll bet she made her own outfit. Yes, and she’s good looking. I’d say she is beautiful. Hang onto her."

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At a time of great need and for two crucial years I had the steadfast help and companionship of Signe, a most wonderful sister.

But You can See It, by Emil B. Fries (Binford & Mort, Portland OR,1980)