Wednesday, February 18, 2004
AUNT INABELLE
Aunt Inabelle was born May 27, 1915. She was the fourth child born to grandma and grandpa and the last child to be born at DeSoto. They moved to Blair in 1916 so she was only one year old at the time.
With two older sisters and a brother she fit right in as a playmate. She and my mother looked more alike in their coloring. Aunt Mary and uncle Bud had light blue eyes; she had red hair while his was black. Mom and aunt Inabelle had brown eyes; mom’s hair was deep auburn, Inabelle’s was black. Two of the children had the coloring of grandpa and two of them had grandma’s coloring. They were all nice looking.
The family called Inabelle, Snooks, which was a nick-name grandpa gave her. He had a nick-name for most of the children, however, mom and aunt Mary didn’t have one. I went to school at Blair my first year and lived with grandma. Inabelle was living at home and worked for a lawyer and his family as their housekeeper. She took care of their two children as well. She was well-suited as she was easy going and got things done without a lot of fuss. Aunt Inabelle had graduated from high-school the night I was born and my middle name of Belle is in her honor. It was also one day after her own birthday so I always felt a strong kinship to her.
She enjoyed going to Omaha to visit my mom and dad occasionally and they would take her to the movies or do things she didn’t normally get to do. She was about twenty-two years old when I was in the first grade at the Blair school. When the teacher sent notes home for me to bring Valentines for the Valentine’s box it was aunt Inabelle that got them. It was also a custom at that time to take candy bars to school when it was your birthday and again, it was aunt Inabelle who came through. It probably didn’t mean that much to her but I never forgot her kindness.
She met Tom Powell at church and they began dating. He and aunt Inabelle were made for each other and two years later they married. I remember the preparations very well because, as usual, I was at grandma’s house. I was swinging on the front porch when grandma walked by the front of the house leading her milk cow with a rope. She had her staked out and was taking her to a different part of the yard to graze. The thing that intrigued me was that she was crying. I went in the house and asked aunt Mary why grandma was crying and she said it was because grandma was sad that Snooks would be leaving home. That was the first time I saw two sides of a wedding…….the joy and excitement I could see in aunt Inabelle and uncle Tom and the sorrow grandma was feeling in losing her.
They were married in the home of uncle Tom’s grandparents which was planned to coincide with their 59th wedding anniversary. It was a small wedding but very nice. I have the clipping from my mother’s mementoes with aunt Inabelle’s picture in her wedding dress.
A year later uncle Tom took a position with the Government Printing Office in Washington D.C. Aunt Inabelle joined him as soon as they found a place to live. The year was 1940. When the war broke out he joined the Sea-Bees and was soon shipped out to the Pacific. Aunt Inabelle went to work at the Pentagon and did so until the war was over. When uncle Tom came home they started their family and their first child was a boy, Thomas Edward Powell, and later a girl, Mary Virginia Powell.
This began a trek back to Nebraska once a year for a reunion of the Stricklett family. Over the years aunt Inabelle worked in a doctor’s office but suffered a severe stroke and that ended her working days. Mom and aunt Mary went to see her and did what they could to help after she came home. Uncle Tom was an excellent nurse and devoted his time in caring for her.
Aunt Inabelle recovered fairly well so that she and uncle Tom could continue their trips home to visit. It became a custom for mom and dad to go at the same time so they could all be together. The two guys would do all of the maintenance they could to help aunt Mary and quite often would go to town together for a beer at their favorite hangout. They had a lot of good times together and fond memories.
Aunt Inabelle’s health diminished in later years to the point they sold their home in Virginia and moved to New Hampshire. They bought a home close to their daughter Mary’s and her family. They had some time together before cancer returned to aunt Inabelle along with her other health problems. Uncle Tom was devoted to her care and did all he could to keep her. On a July day he told her he was going to the basement to do some laundry and would be right back. When he returned she had slipped away. The love of his life was gone……….
He is still living and very knowledgeable about computers. He has spent a lot of his later years on genealogy both of his and aunt Inabelle’s families. He keeps active and busy and I marvel at his sharp mind. He has always been an information highway for me. He and aunt Inabelle were special people. My children remember her for the wonderful books she sent every Christmas for them. We read each book a chapter at a time before their bedtime. They still remember the books and the stories ……….while I remember how nice it was to look at their faces as I read to them. They remember uncle Tom because he always had the latest technology in cameras and other gadgetry that fascinated them. John often says his desire to have all the toys uncle Tom did has cost him a fortune.
We hope to keep him around for a long time…………….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
With two older sisters and a brother she fit right in as a playmate. She and my mother looked more alike in their coloring. Aunt Mary and uncle Bud had light blue eyes; she had red hair while his was black. Mom and aunt Inabelle had brown eyes; mom’s hair was deep auburn, Inabelle’s was black. Two of the children had the coloring of grandpa and two of them had grandma’s coloring. They were all nice looking.
The family called Inabelle, Snooks, which was a nick-name grandpa gave her. He had a nick-name for most of the children, however, mom and aunt Mary didn’t have one. I went to school at Blair my first year and lived with grandma. Inabelle was living at home and worked for a lawyer and his family as their housekeeper. She took care of their two children as well. She was well-suited as she was easy going and got things done without a lot of fuss. Aunt Inabelle had graduated from high-school the night I was born and my middle name of Belle is in her honor. It was also one day after her own birthday so I always felt a strong kinship to her.
She enjoyed going to Omaha to visit my mom and dad occasionally and they would take her to the movies or do things she didn’t normally get to do. She was about twenty-two years old when I was in the first grade at the Blair school. When the teacher sent notes home for me to bring Valentines for the Valentine’s box it was aunt Inabelle that got them. It was also a custom at that time to take candy bars to school when it was your birthday and again, it was aunt Inabelle who came through. It probably didn’t mean that much to her but I never forgot her kindness.
She met Tom Powell at church and they began dating. He and aunt Inabelle were made for each other and two years later they married. I remember the preparations very well because, as usual, I was at grandma’s house. I was swinging on the front porch when grandma walked by the front of the house leading her milk cow with a rope. She had her staked out and was taking her to a different part of the yard to graze. The thing that intrigued me was that she was crying. I went in the house and asked aunt Mary why grandma was crying and she said it was because grandma was sad that Snooks would be leaving home. That was the first time I saw two sides of a wedding…….the joy and excitement I could see in aunt Inabelle and uncle Tom and the sorrow grandma was feeling in losing her.
They were married in the home of uncle Tom’s grandparents which was planned to coincide with their 59th wedding anniversary. It was a small wedding but very nice. I have the clipping from my mother’s mementoes with aunt Inabelle’s picture in her wedding dress.
A year later uncle Tom took a position with the Government Printing Office in Washington D.C. Aunt Inabelle joined him as soon as they found a place to live. The year was 1940. When the war broke out he joined the Sea-Bees and was soon shipped out to the Pacific. Aunt Inabelle went to work at the Pentagon and did so until the war was over. When uncle Tom came home they started their family and their first child was a boy, Thomas Edward Powell, and later a girl, Mary Virginia Powell.
This began a trek back to Nebraska once a year for a reunion of the Stricklett family. Over the years aunt Inabelle worked in a doctor’s office but suffered a severe stroke and that ended her working days. Mom and aunt Mary went to see her and did what they could to help after she came home. Uncle Tom was an excellent nurse and devoted his time in caring for her.
Aunt Inabelle recovered fairly well so that she and uncle Tom could continue their trips home to visit. It became a custom for mom and dad to go at the same time so they could all be together. The two guys would do all of the maintenance they could to help aunt Mary and quite often would go to town together for a beer at their favorite hangout. They had a lot of good times together and fond memories.
Aunt Inabelle’s health diminished in later years to the point they sold their home in Virginia and moved to New Hampshire. They bought a home close to their daughter Mary’s and her family. They had some time together before cancer returned to aunt Inabelle along with her other health problems. Uncle Tom was devoted to her care and did all he could to keep her. On a July day he told her he was going to the basement to do some laundry and would be right back. When he returned she had slipped away. The love of his life was gone……….
He is still living and very knowledgeable about computers. He has spent a lot of his later years on genealogy both of his and aunt Inabelle’s families. He keeps active and busy and I marvel at his sharp mind. He has always been an information highway for me. He and aunt Inabelle were special people. My children remember her for the wonderful books she sent every Christmas for them. We read each book a chapter at a time before their bedtime. They still remember the books and the stories ……….while I remember how nice it was to look at their faces as I read to them. They remember uncle Tom because he always had the latest technology in cameras and other gadgetry that fascinated them. John often says his desire to have all the toys uncle Tom did has cost him a fortune.
We hope to keep him around for a long time…………….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
