Marilyn S Murphree

Dusty Plains Marilyn S Murphree

Donna Jean had never had an easy life. Growing up her family had experienced a fire when they lost their home and all their belongings. They rebuilt the family home on the same site and years later Donna Jean and her husband, Brady, lived in this same house. They tried to make a go of ranching but every month the bills overwhelmed them because of backbreaking medical bills incurred by the illness of their daughter. Although doctors ran one test after another, the root cause of her illness never was identified. She would get better and then worse as the months went by, Many nights Donna Jean could not sleep and got up in the night and came out on the porch to think about the direction she was to go, Donna Jean's husband was a hard worker not only on the ranch but at a job in town which paid very little yet he always had hopes of catching u on things. Their two older children were in college and doing well. They never had a sick day in their lives, Occasionally when Donna Jean went into town shopping, she would stop by the general store that had been there for generations. She always felt better after going there to chat with Albert Pickins the sole proprietor. She enjoyed his wit and wisdom and lef feeling uplifted by something he said. The towns people always called this old man Slim because he as skinny as a rail. Slim Pickens was a welcome ficture in the town.