Sister of advice columnists dies

OMAHA, June 23 (UPI) -- Helen Brodkey, the sister of advice columnists Abigail Van Buren and Ann Landers, died at the age of 92, in Omaha.

Brodkey died one day before the first anniversary of Ann Landers' death. Landers, born Esther Pauline "Eppie" Friedman, died June 22, 2002, in Chicago.

Her twin, Pauline Esther "Popo" Phillips, who wrote the Dear Abby column under the pen name Abigail Van Buren, will turn 85 on July 4. She lives in Minneapolis.

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Helen married David Brodkey, a member of the Brodkey Brothers jewelry family in Omaha, in 1933. He died in 1976.

Brodkey dreamt of becoming an actress and was accepted to study at a drama school in Chicago. But it was the Great Depression, and the school closed, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

She is survived by sons Ron and Robert and grandchildren Alfred, David and Naomi