Marge, RIP ?-2007
Her Christian name was probably Margaret, although it could have been Mary. Her name might have been something entirely different: she could have been disguising her identity for her own safety. Kirk does not know and neither do I. All we know is that when we met her she called herself Marge, and now she is dead. We met her when we went out in the winter to visit the homeless camps. She lived in a tent with her husband and they always welcomed us when we came to visit. She made our visits, which could have been awkward, warm and enjoyable.
We lost track of Marge and her husband after the Spring thaw. When the snow left, county workers came with No Trespassing signs and moved the people along. Since then, we have always asked people we met on the railroad tracks if they new Marge or her husband. Until this week, we were always met with smiles of recognition when we said their names. Today, the recognition was still there, but the man, who called himself Tazzer, told us that Marge had succumbed to illness. We do not know whether or not she was a Christian, but we do know that she always showed us warm, Christian hospitality when we came to visit.
We hope to see Margie again in the next life.