• Originally published May 31, 2008 at 11:19 p.m., updated May 31, 2008 at 11:19 p.m.

Gone - flitted away,

taken the stars from the night

and the sun from the day!

Gone, and a cloud in my heart.

I never saw Annie Hernandez have a bad day.

Oh, to be sure she must have had her share, working late nights for so many years in the old “composing room” of the Victoria Advocate, and raising a daughter to boot.

It’s just that I never saw the challenges she overcame so nobly during her beautiful life that fell one day short of 42 years. Always pleasant to a fault and helpful beyond measure to all her co-workers, Annie was just about the brightest spot around the Advocate, and definitely the most lovable.

Annie Hernandez, driving her daughter Heather to St. Joseph High School Thursday morning, died when, according to law officers, another vehicle crossed the center line and struck her car head-on.

It’s one of those stories that a stranger might read with a shake of the head and a “that’s so sad” response. But not knowing this woman, the reader would never know the depth of the tragedy that has occurred.

Those who did know “Little Annie,” as she was fondly referred to at the newspaper because of her tiny frame, are today dealing with their happy memories of her and their heavy hearts at knowing they won’t see her again.

After 23 years of being one of the most conscientious and able employees at the Advocate, Annie’s legacy is rich with the many stories of friendship and love that her friends will cling to for comfort.

Our prayers are with Heather as she struggles to overcome the terrible injuries she suffered in the crash, and the awful emptiness with which she will have to deal without her beloved Mom.

My memories of her include working with her late at night as we put the newspaper together by the old “paste-up” method.

In those days, stories had to be cut shorter many times to make them fit into the finished pages that readers saw. Annie was a magician, slicing and dicing with her X-Acto knife as she followed my instructions on how to do that.

But what I really remember was the way she always called me “Mr. Bishop.” I’d ask her to please call me Jim, as that more formal title made me feel really old.

But she just couldn’t do it. “It’s a sign of respect, Mr. Bishop,” she would reply.

Thank you for that, Little Annie, and for the thousand times you brightened all our lives.

Today, as the poet said, we deal with a cloud in our hearts.

We will miss your smile, and all that was you.

And so, farewell.

Jim Bishop is a senior editor for the Advocate. Leave him a message at 361-574-1210 or jbishop@vicad.com or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com

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