Kathryn: We’re sisters. All of our husbands have passed away. Mine died in January. I told Juday and Marie we could get together for Valentine’s Day and cry until we fell asleep. Marie said, ‘No, we’re not.’

Marie: “I booked a room at The Battle House and told them we were going. Kathy bought the T-shirts for us.” 

Kathryn: “When we were little, our mama made our Easter dresses from twenty-five-pound flour sacks. They were beautiful floral colors: yellow, blue, and lavender.”

Judy: “We haven’t dressed alike since we were little. Here we are dressed alike again.”

Kathryn: “We were born and raised outside of Jackson, Alabama. Our parents had ten kids–we are some of the younger ones. We were all delivered by a midwife. Daddy was a farmer, grew corn and cotton. He drove a school bus on the side.”

Judy: “Mama helped Daddy in the fields. When we were old enough, we picked cotton with our bare hands.”

Kathryn: “We grew up poor but had everything we needed. Our clothes were hand-me-downs.”

Judy: “Our aunt worked at the Salvation Army and brought us boxes of clothes. It was like Christmas Day when she came to see us.”

Marie: “I’m the youngest. My sisters got the best, and I got what was left. Isn’t that terrible?”

Kathryn: “We still love to shop at second-hand stores.” 

Judy: “We lived in an old house. It felt like a mansion even though we could see through the cracks of the walls. Five of us slept in one bed with seven or eight quilts and blankets to keep us warm. When we got another bed, the boys slept in one and the three of us slept in the other–still in the same room. We didn’t have indoor plumbing until 1967. Our aunt and uncle lived up the road and had all of the necessities. We took baths there.”

Kathryn: “Our older sister got married at 14. Daddy signed for her but took it out on us. He made Judy and Marie go on dates with me; I couldn’t go alone. My boyfriend would take us to the Dairy Bar then to the drive-in theater.”

Judy: “We all rode to the church in the back of a pickup truck. Even went to Dauphin Island and Panama City in the back of the truck. We looked like hillbillies.”

Marie: “We may not have had all of the necessities, but we had love. It’s why we’re still so close today. We have seen a lot of hardship and loss, but the love is still strong.” 

Kathryn: “We call each other ‘Sister’, but everyone else calls us ‘the Sistahs’. We have one brother still living; we call him ‘Brother’. 

Judy: “It’s hard being the last ones left. We’ve lost most of our family and all of our husbands– Kathryn and Marie have lost two husbands. We stick together and help each other.  Laughter gets us through the pain of losing so many people we love.”

Marie: “The hardest part is learning how to live alone. I never had to live alone a day in my life. I always had my family. I hate being by myself.”

Judy: “I had never spent a night by myself before Louie passed away. I went to my sister’s house when the walls were closing on me. I still call my sisters every day. I learned to cut grass and do everything around the house. I don’t like it, but you do what you have to do.”

Kathryn: “We called my second husband Mr. Wonderful. He paid all of the bills, pumped the gas, and took care of everything. I often dream that he’s still here, calling my name. I wake up, and he’s gone. Being alone isn’t easy.. I lean on God and my sisters.”

Judy: “There are no words to describe what life would be without my sisters. I don’t want to think about it.”

Kathryn: “We have wonderful, sweet memories. I don’t want to be the only sister here. I tell them they better not leave me by myself.”