A.U.N.T.

Aunt Helen passed away today at about 6:10 PM. She had about 48 hours that were really bad, but she's at peace now. I, however, am really going to miss her. She lived to be 103 and 1 day old!

My middle niece gave me a necklace for Christmas that was for an aunt - it says Always Understanding Naturally Terrific. That's how I felt about Aunt Helen. My mom always said that Helen had to be a product of the gypsies, because she always liked bright colors and LOTS of jewelry. Mom also told us that while she and her older sister, Wanda, were cooking and cleaning, Aunt Helen was reading a book. She read every book at the Fairfield Library at least once! (I'm sure that's an exaggeration, but I know we would get 12-15 books every week or so and she'd read them all. When she got macular degeneration, we lined her up with the tape machine from the Blind and she went through at least 15-20 books a week. She didn't start deteriorating until she could no longer "read" her books. Then when her dementia set in, it was like she was living in a fantasy world of the books she'd read. Anyway, I'm sure my memories of her from when I was a child are the best! She loved to go to Ottumwa - loved Canteens, loved to go to the Woolworth lunch counter and order bacon, lettuce, tomato club sandwiches. She loved to have our pictures taken in those little 25 cent photo booths. She loved to stay up late and watch old movies...and I got to stay up with her! Of course, I fell asleep! I remember Bob and I sitting on Mom and Dad's bed and watching eagerly for Bert & Helen's car to come down the street - we could hardly wait for them to get here at Christmas time and again in the spring when they returned from Florida. When I was in first grade, I thought I was too "big" for a doll. Aunt Helen got me a canary for Christmas. When I went back to school after Christmas, we had show & tell where all of my girl friends showed off the dolls they'd received for Christmas. Naturally I came home crying because I didn't have one to show. Well, Mom told me to take Mickey, my canary to school the next day. I was really envied - who else had an aunt who gave them a real canary!! One time, I asked for a Stingray for Christmas. Aunt Helen looked all around Minnesota for a Stingray. Finally one store clerk told her it was a car (a Corvette) and she told me she couldn't get me a car, so she made me a knitted hat with pompoms on it - I don't know why she thought that would take the place of a Corvette, but she did! I also have about 7 oil paintings up on my walls that were painted by Aunt Helen. When she was 60 she took a class in oil painting and she loved it. She painted tons of beautiful pictures. Bob and I and all of Bob's girls have paintings of hers. I have lots of wonderful memories of my Aunt Helen - she was Always Understanding, Naturally Terrific!