You asked for memories of Aunt Edna. I remember that I LOVED going to her house. I remember she had plates on the wall of ladies wearing dresses from different time periods. I thought that was so chic and fascinating and I wanted a collection just like it. She also had a little dulcimer on the wall by the front door that I liked to pluck and I realize now how annoying it probably was to have a kid fiddling with the decorations. But Aunt Edna never scolded us. I remember rubbing my socks on the blue rug and shocking Matt and Steenie. As far as I knew, Aunt Edna's was the only carpet in the world that had that feature. I remember celebrating Easter lunch with Aunt Edna every year at Williamson's and thinking it was the fanciest restaurant I would ever visit. I mean, they had turtle soup! How much more opulent can you get?! I remember Aunt Edna always seemed so delighted by everything and everyone; she seemed to be ALWAYS happy. As I matured, I thought "I want to be like Aunt Edna when I'm older." After spending many years visiting Grandpop in the nursing home, I started to believe that depressing state was the only future for the elderly. But Aunt Edna's graciousness and easy laugh, even in her later years, gave me hope and a picture of how to age gracefully. I will always remember her as a lovely, generous, cheerful woman.
Aunt Edna was always important to me. I can remember looking forward to her visits when I was a preschooler. She was always so happy and vivacious and, most importantly to a little girl, she always seemed as if she liked me. This feeling never changed. Later on she treated my children as if they were HER grandchildren and made sure that they knew they were important to her. Aunt Edna was constantly giving gifts to us all.
During the last few weeks of her life I visited her, but she did not recognize me. I reminded her of different ways she had been involved in my life and in my children's lives, but she did not understand. As I left the retirement community after visiting her for the last time, I had a sense that when she crossed into eternity she would be shown these particular visits from her niece. She would see that even though she had nothing to give materially or socially, she was still important to me just "because". She would see that her niece wanted to be with her only because she was her "Auntie Edna".
Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in this book.