For me, Ed and “lifelong” has a special truth and significance.   

The Scherf and Rivers’ family connection goes back to (at least as I remember) around 1933/34 when my

Mother and Dad, Ruth and Charles Scherf, Sr.,  moved into a fourplex apartment building owned by Ruth

Rivers’ Mother, Mrs. Lynch, where Ed’s Mom and Dad (Ruth/Lou and Ron?) were already living.   That

was the start of 80+ years of association and essentially a “family integration”.  Both families had

lived through the depression era,  were essentially married only a few years and searching

for a future of stability.   They had a lot to share and they clicked.    Ruth and Lou (and my

Mom) had great senses of humor and a positive outlook to help control my Dad’s historically

serious tendencies, and help him through whatever was left of his disappointment at ending

his professional baseball playing days.    In tough times, they each provided great support and

inspiration for one another.   At this point, Ed and I became friends by birth association and

probably picked up a lot of integrated family info in the respective wombs before entering

the world.   Whatever, I consider Ed my Brother, friend and special soul-mate from birth.

As is the case with life, our closest association was in the late 1930’s through the mid-50’s when

the Korean War sort of sent us all in different directions – Ed, the Army; me, the Air Force; Ron, the Navy

and Charles Jr, (my brother) to the Jesuit Seminary.   But before we all left, we took great joy in torturing

our younger sisters,  Mary Jane Rivers and Catherine Scherf,  the results of which they will gladly share 

with clear (but exaggerated?) discussion at any opportunity.  Subsequent Rivers’ siblings, Linda, Danny

and Mike, escaped our collaborative efforts but I had hoped that Ed and Ron had continued our

convictions about the superiority of seniority.   It did not escape me when the last time Ed and I had

gotten together, the balance in the Rivers family had become more of a superiority of the

majority….than seniority (4 vs 2).  All a bit of nonsense and fun…a reason that Ed and the entire

Rivers clan will always reflect what life should be and which is close to my heart.