Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Another one gone

I received an email from a cousin today, and then tonight, a phone call from another cousin, Wanda, telling me Aunt Ruth passed away yesterday at age 93. That's Aunt Ruth on the left in the above picture, taken at the reunion in 2007. On the right is Aunt Gladys, who is still living. The two of them have resided in the same nursing home, the one in which my mother spent her last few years.

I regret that I never knew my paternal relatives as well as I did those on my mom's side of the family. Oh, we'd visit them, and meet for reunions. But I just never got to know them as well as I now wish I had.

Aunt Ruth was the typical farmer's wife, canning and preserving and making do with what she had.


These are Aunt Gladys' daughters. Wanda, on the right, is the one who called me this evening to make sure I knew about the arrangements. These girls were raised near Uncle Orval and Aunt Ruth; Wanda said they spent almost half their Sundays, growing up, at Uncle Orval's. She said Aunt Ruth was "a rock", always the same, never wavering; quiet and dependable and trustworthy.

Wanda and I spent quite a bit of time talking about the brevity of life and how fast time goes by. She said, "I don't want to live past eighty."

I said, "I don't care how long I live as long as I am enjoying life. And as long as I can wipe my own behind."

I don't keep in touch with my cousins like I should, and that's a sad state of affairs. They are all wonderful people. One of the drawbacks of being an introvert is that you don't stay as close to people as you should.

I now have two aunts left: Aunt Gladys (my dad's baby sister) and Aunt Mary (my mom's youngest brother's wife).

Life's evening sun is sinking low.

9 comments:

  1. Sorry about your loss but sounds as if she lived a long and happy life.

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  2. I'm so sorry Donna. I don't keep in touch with my relatives like I should either.

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  3. I'm sorry for the loss of your Aunt, Donna. My sympathies.

    "A Beautiful Life" is one of my favorite old hymns, especially by the Chuckwagon Gang.

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  4. Condolences & prayers being sent. May she R.I.P.
    In today's society, many don't keep in touch with relatives, as once was the thing to do. I have only distant relatives & haven't seen them since I was a child, don't even know their names. Sad.
    God bless...

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  5. Anonymous10:08 PM

    Hi Donna...so sorry to hear of your Aunt Ruth..it seems she lived a full life of joy and love...God Bless..hugs...Ora

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  6. I am so sorry about the loss of one of your family members. It's nice you got to go to the reunion in 07 and that you have pictures for the memories.

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  7. Sometimes it seems like we wait until a fueral to get together in our family...which is sad.
    SO sorry for your loss donna...She seemed like a real sweet lady...
    love,
    carlene

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  8. You are in my thoughts and prayers. I'm sorry for yet another loss in your family. It seems as we are getting older we'll be loosing more and more of them. It hits me when I think I'm becoming the older generation. I have a few more aunts left than you do as my Dad had 4 younger sisters still living and one brother. Only one uncle left on My Mom's side and 2 sisters. They both came from families of 10.
    None of us are close or visit much and funerals seem to be where we catch up on what's going on.
    'On Ya'-ma

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  9. They are such sweet looking ladies, all of them. I'm very sorry for the loss of your aunt, but I hope she went peacefully. I'm sure she had a wonderful life. My father said the same thing you say, that when he got to the point where he couldn't go to the bathroom on his own, then he didn't want to be around anymore. And that's exactly how it happened.

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