LAVEGA TWINS. . . KANE STREET KIDS, KINDNESS & COMMUNITY: We lost a special Kane Street Kid yesterday,. ELIZABETH (ROBERTSON) FULLER, but before I tell you why, here is a short excerpt from her obituary in todays Waco Tribune: * * * Elizabeth Fuller, 76, of Waco, passed away Sat., Aug. 9, in a local hospital. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Tues., Aug. 12, at Bellmead Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Waco Memorial Park. Visitation with the family will be 6 to 8 p.m., Mon., Aug. 11, at Bellmead Funeral Home. *** Elizabeth was born Jan. 4, 1938 in Waco to Bill and Delma Robertson. She graduated from LaVega High School in 1955. She was previously employed as Food & Beverage Director for the Waco Hilton and was currently retired as owner of a health food store and Bellmead Fitness Center. *** She was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Delma Robertson; and her two sisters, Madelyn Henderson and Mary Beard. She is survived by her husband, Jimmy Fuller; son, Rodney Fuller; her twin sister, Beverly Whatley; and three grandsons, Brad Fuller and wife Jenny, Cody Fuller and Tyler Fuller, all of Waco. * * * Elizabeth and Beverly were The Robertson Twins -- as all us other Kane Street Kids knew them -- from Blancetts next to the old LaVega H.S. at the east end of the street to the Moroscos, Leuschners and Herrings at the other end near the Wheeler St. Elem. school. And LaVega had lots of twins in school in the 50s: Robertsons, Sudburys, Kirks, Swanks, Totens and others. Eliz. & Bev took a great interest in Patricia and Preston Kirk (me) because we, too, were twins, seven year younger than them. They may have even baby-sat us occasionally. Up and down Kane Street, kids played and visited. If it wasnt pea-shooter fights or scrub baseball, it was chasing fire flies, flying kites, stealing plums and peaches or backyard picnics. School plays, bonfires, sports -- a constant mingling. True community and mutual support. COWBOY KIRK: The Robertson girls knocked on our door in about 1948 or 1949, urging my mother to dress us in our cowboy togs because the roving pony photographer was in the neighborhood. The cost was only about $1.50 a photo, but we had no money. Dad was making about $40 a week working for Nabisco cookies and Mom got $10 every other week. The Robertson girls mama, Delma, paid for our pictures, just one of the many kindnesses that family shown to our family. Mom, now 94 years old, recalled today that times were tough and the Robertson Twins father Bill, who ran Robertsons Meat Mkt. on Bellmead Dr. (TX Hwy. 31/U.S.Hwy. 84) would give us free soup bones. He did not ask us to pay for them and he often left meat on the bones for our stew pot. I imagine a few Nabisco cookie/cracker samples wound up at their home, too. I suspect the kindness and generosity of the Robertson family touched a much larger circle in our neighborhood and in Bellmead and at LaVega than most people knew. They were that kind of people. Good people. I remember George Zimmerman (Class of 61) trying to teach the girls how to ride his unicycle. He was years younger, but Eliz. and Bev. were beautiful young women and all of us took an interest in these aspiring over-achievers. (I think I even flirted with them, taking them flowers occasionally.) One of the girls pinched her inner thigh and the riding lesson and the unicycle went south fast! Growing up, we celebrated the Twins successes with Mom sending clippings or relaying neighborhood news, particularly once we Kirk kids headed away to build our own futures and careers. But the visits between my mom and Mrs. Robertson continued for decades as they walked to each others home in the 1200 block to share news, recipes, fruit and gossip. When Delma passed away, The Twins gave Mom two small ceramic items. I think one is like a wagon or chariot. Both are still prominently -- and fondly -- displayed in Moms current home. So, it is with great sadness for our family, that we mark Elizabeths passage. She made her mark at LaVega and in the Waco area. For me personally, I cannot imagine the heartache that must accompany a surviving twin. R.I.P. Elizabeth.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 01:03:28 +0000
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