The day before I left LA, I visited Forest Lawn Cemetery. I was looking for the graves of Rudolph and Irene "Ira" Sepp, husband and wife, who had emigrated from Estonia together many years ago. I knew Ira though my friend Thea and her mother Addy. Before WWII, but after Estonia had fallen under the control of the Soviet Union, Rudy had given Thea's mother a job in his store in Estonia, in spite of the fact that she was outspokenly anti-communist. It turns out he was too, as were the majority of Estonian nationals. Rudy passed away in 1993. I met Ira at an Estonian gathering, and saw her again several times at parties and other events. Ira was kindly and frank. Once, when I had a cut above my eyebrow, she looked at me and said bluntly,"You were drunk!" Turns out she was right--I had been under the influence when I leaned over and hit my head on my bathroom faucet. Ira once asked me if she came to Los Angeles if I would drive her out to Forest Lawn to visit her husband's grave. I would have done it without question, but unfortunately she never found time for the trip. Ira passed away this year at the age of 92, and was laid to rest next to her husband. I told Thea that I would put some flowers on her grave before I left town for good. And I did. Ira was a wonderful friend to Addy, and they had long telephone conversations every day. We miss her very much.
