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Senior Living
Blog Entry 147 of 155
Thanks for the Memories - Niagara remembrances
Stories, anecdotes and memories from Niagara Falls and the surrounding communities.
Blog Url:
http://buffalo.yourhub.com/~Memories
Entries:
3/5/2007 '"...Places Close To My Hear...'
3/5/2007 '"...So much history and bea...'
3/5/2007 'I (eye) witness - Virginia ...'
3/6/2007 'School Days - Elaine A. Brown'
3/7/2007 'My Family - Elaine A. Brown'
3/9/2007 '"Elaine, get your nose out ...'
3/14/2007 'Elaine Brown looks back at ...'
3/29/2007 'Elaine's tips to holding of...'
4/2/2007 'Janette Brandon: On Getting...'
4/3/2007 'Mary Jane: "If this were a ...'
4/9/2007 'Mary Jane - "Can You Imagin...'
4/15/2007 'Jeanette Brandon - "From Vi...'
4/18/2007 'Pearl Rafferty - St. Patric...'
4/23/2007 'Elaine's Brown's List of "D...'
5/1/2007 'Elaine Brown - More Senior ...'
5/9/2007 'Pearl Rafferty - What was, ...'
5/16/2007 'Elaine Brown - "One day tha...'
5/22/2007 'Elaine Brown - "I'll try - ...'
6/11/2007 'Elaine Brown - "Eyewitness ...'
6/11/2007 'Virginia Ceretto - Fictiona...'
6/12/2007 'Virginia Ceretto - Royalty ...'
6/19/2007 'Elaine Brown - "Changes"'
6/20/2007 'Mary Jane - "The Wonders of...'
6/20/2007 'Mary Jane - "Trip to Disney...'
6/25/2007 'Janette Brandon - Eyewitnes...'
6/28/2007 'Elaine Brown - Memories of ...'
7/5/2007 'Elaine Brown - On Death and...'
7/10/2007 '"Never say never" - Elaine ...'
7/10/2007 '"Imagination" - fiction fro...'
7/10/2007 'Writing class tribute!'
7/10/2007 '"Changes" - Janette Brandon'
7/10/2007 '"Mrs. McGoo" - Carol Scott'
7/10/2007 '"Shoulda Coulda Woulda" - C...'
7/11/2007 '"The beauty of it all" - a ...'
7/13/2007 '"You'll always be my Jim!" ...'
7/18/2007 'What a day - it's JFK! - Pe...'
7/25/2007 'A look at my family - Elain...'
7/31/2007 'My Relatives - Mary Jane'
7/31/2007 '"It's nice to keep in touch...'
7/31/2007 '"...and then there are rela...'
8/9/2007 '"... but I love them dearly...'
8/14/2007 '"Love walked right in" - fi...'
8/14/2007 '"...We do like things to be...'
8/15/2007 '"A journey of 1,000 miles.....'
8/21/2007 '"...Have you ever..." - Ela...'
8/21/2007 '"What is so sweet as a day ...'
8/28/2007 '"...but I love to dream" - ...'
8/28/2007 'Memories of a father - Elai...'
9/5/2007 '"I must make a change" - El...'
9/5/2007 '"From Dawn until Dusk" - fi...'
9/10/2007 '"...I got to know my parent...'
9/10/2007 '"Take Me Fishing" - Pearl R.'
9/12/2007 'My hobbies - Mary Jane'
9/28/2007 'The way it was in the Falls...'
9/28/2007 'Diary of a Senior, Summer 0...'
9/28/2007 '"I Have More Yesterdays Tha...'
9/28/2007 '"I Can't Help But Wonder Wh...'
10/16/2007 '"Some Advice for Senior Yea...'
10/16/2007 '"I may need your help" - Ma...'
10/16/2007 '" A wonder to me..." - Elai...'
10/16/2007 '"Seasons" - by Susan M. Harris'
10/16/2007 '"I'm really not grouchy..."...'
10/17/2007 '"Gifts from God" - Pearl R.'
10/17/2007 '"Children?" - Pearl R.'
10/18/2007 '"From Fredonia to the Falls...'
10/18/2007 'Losing a pet, losing a frie...'
10/18/2007 'A story of a blue-bellied Y...'
10/23/2007 '"Life is what you make it" ...'
10/23/2007 '"Going through changes" - R...'
11/6/2007 'Creative Writing Class Upda...'
11/14/2007 '"Judge not..." - Rev. Susan...'
11/14/2007 '"A spiritual journey" - Rev...'
11/29/2007 'Family life and great happe...'
11/29/2007 'Spotting Kennedy - Janette ...'
11/29/2007 '"We had a lot of fun back t...'
11/29/2007 'Hair-raising situation - Ma...'
11/29/2007 'Young Woman's Great Lakes a...'
12/3/2007 'Celebrating the (Easter) ho...'
12/3/2007 'Nature, birth and faith - E...'
12/7/2007 'Happy and sad times - Elain...'
12/7/2007 'Depression Days - Elaine Brown'
12/8/2007 'Memories from Michigan - Th...'
12/10/2007 'Skating back to the past - ...'
12/10/2007 'Learning can be painful - P...'
12/11/2007 'Remembering The Great Depre...'
12/11/2007 'Only in Dreams - Janette Br...'
1/17/2008 '"...dreams are free to ever...'
1/17/2008 '"Having Fun!" - Elaine Brown'
1/17/2008 'Life in 2 states - Elaine B...'
1/17/2008 'Friends - Elaine Brown'
1/17/2008 '"Happiness is not easily fo...'
1/17/2008 '"God knew me..." by Susan M...'
1/17/2008 'Dreams - Mary Jane'
1/21/2008 '"I remember..." - Mary Jane'
1/21/2008 'Remembering Thanksgiving - ...'
1/21/2008 '"Did I tell you about..." -...'
1/21/2008 'A dream - Susan M. Harris'
1/24/2008 '"Dreams can change..." - El...'
1/24/2008 'Family, heredity and clowni...'
1/24/2008 'Oops - Carol Scott'
1/25/2008 'A Horse Tale - Elaine Brown'
1/29/2008 'Changes good, changes bad -...'
1/30/2008 'Challenges - Mary Jane'
1/30/2008 'Writing about Hope - Janett...'
1/30/2008 'Remembering the sacrifices ...'
1/31/2008 'Stories of Love - Elaine Brown'
2/5/2008 'It's all in order - Susan M...'
2/10/2008 '"...many adventures we had....'
2/24/2008 'Remembering World War II - ...'
2/24/2008 '"...the best days of my lif...'
3/6/2008 'Better to know, better not ...'
3/6/2008 '"I don't know..." - Elaine ...'
4/1/2008 '"Fingerprints on my heart" ...'
4/1/2008 '"I never said I know everyt...'
4/1/2008 '"Always on my mind..." - El...'
4/2/2008 '"What's on your mind, Jan?"...'
4/2/2008 '"Promises of coming attract...'
4/2/2008 'Reflections after a good su...'
4/2/2008 '"...this is how I feel toda...'
4/2/2008 '"I needed a safe harbor" - ...'
4/2/2008 'To sleep, perchance to drea...'
4/4/2008 'Things That I Love - Mary Jane'
4/4/2008 '"What's on your mind, MJ?" ...'
4/17/2008 '"How Do I Love Thee..." - E...'
4/17/2008 '"...I love thee in many way...'
4/17/2008 'What's that word? - Jan Bra...'
4/30/2008 'Yesterdays, todays, looking...'
4/30/2008 'Daydreaming about the sea -...'
4/30/2008 'The story of the rainbow - ...'
4/30/2008 'Fiction by Janette Brandon ...'
4/30/2008 'Fiction by Susan M. Harris ...'
4/30/2008 'The order of things - Susan...'
4/30/2008 'Fiction by Elaine Brown - T...'
5/8/2008 'What's in a name - Pearl R.'
5/8/2008 '"I'll worry tomorrow!" - Pe...'
5/9/2008 '"I just went hysterical wit...'
5/9/2008 'Cars: From Luxury to Necess...'
5/22/2008 'Spirituality, pizza, and a ...'
5/22/2008 'Time, Oh Precious Time - El...'
5/22/2008 'Time - A Poem'
5/22/2008 'Things to remember - Mary Jane'
6/24/2008 'Time goes by, but by who? -...'
6/25/2008 '"...judge not..." - Susan M...'
6/25/2008 'Any George Harris paintings...'
6/25/2008 '"...lucky to be a part of i...'
6/25/2008 'Time flies by me now - Susa...'
6/27/2008 'My Cousin Claire - Elaine B...'
6/27/2008 'Aunts, jokes, and pranks - ...'
6/27/2008 'Remembering my cousin - Jan...'
6/27/2008 '"It was a zoo out there" - ...'
6/27/2008 'Aunt Margaret and her candy...'
7/4/2008 'Out with Aunts - Mary Jane'
7/18/2008 'Remembering the War - Helen...'
7/22/2008 'The Move - Elaine Brown'
7/22/2008 'Is there hope for the world...'
My Cousin Claire - Elaine Brown
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Contributed by:
Thanks for the Memories
on 6/27/2008
My story is about my cousin Claire. Claire is gone now, having passed away a year ago. Many in our family really don't know the real Claire - only that in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where she was the daughter of my Uncle Henry and Aunt Ethel, my mother's sister. Uncle was a surgeon, very prominent; Aunt Ethel met him when in nurse training - "a poor farm girl nabbed popular young doctor." Oh, they loved each other so much - he called her "Tweet" and she called him Henry, lovingly.
Claire's sister Carol was my sister's age and Claire only a year older than me. Of course, we didn't see them often but each year they came down to farming for a family reunion and Aunt Ethel's mother and father. I guess at 8-9 years old, I knew that they were rich. Claire had all the best clothes while I still had a dress made out of a feed bag - but it was pretty - small blue flowers, white collar, short sleeves (these were puffed!), I helped my mother make it for my 4-H project. I wasn't envious as Claire and I had such fun together - laughing, giggling, making fun and talking about our other cousins. Those were lovely times - funny. Aunts and uncles (don't ask Aunt Clara how she was feeling - an hour might cover it).
As we grew older - Claire graduated from a prestigious college and got a job as a teacher in private school in the east and several others in her years of teaching. I went to work for an insurance company in Howell, Mich., and Claire would come down and visit and how she loved staying at our farm when she had time off. We traded clothes - she loved mine - very practical and hers, well, expensive and different. Of course I had a group from work and surrounding farms going to a local lake, light a fire (and some a cigarette!) and them out came the booze along with the jokes, the "pick of the night" for us. We didn't always get the "pick of the litter" -- I often got stuck with Elmer Fudd but hey, you made due in World War II with so few men left -- farm boys with their deferments and 4-Fs because of something physical. 4-F was a dirty word to ignorant people in that war, unfair to say the least, as most were legitimate. Some no, but on their conscience.
Well, that one particular night through the flames Claire found her "pick of the night" and at the same time he saw her. She was so pretty with her long blonde hair, which she wore in a thick braid. His name was Buck (that name didn't match him) but he was sooooo handsome -- tall, blondish, curly hair, a smile that stretched to his eyes making them smile, too.
Soon, while some of us were singing, some sneaking off into the dark - Buck had his arm around Claire and she was really enjoying that. Later, goodbyes - "See you all at Aggie and Chuck's" - they had just gotten married and we just had to get a look - at those sheets and hang them on the line.
Claire's laughter was great to hear - I always loved her laugh - the final action of Chuck and Aggie after their embarrassment was to uncover the dining room table and there was a feast!!! Salads, meats, desserts - what a beautiful time was had by our gang. Claire clung to Buck and I knew, "oh oh, she's in love!" And she was.
All the other exciting thing we did, our gang, she was with him and I can still see this bar, a nice one, they were in a deep, deep conversation and I tried sliding close but couldn't hear (nosy!). But later she told me (while in bed and me scratching her back, arms and hands - my job to the rich) "Buck and I are in love and he wants to marry me - what will mother and father say? They don't approve of any man I've dated - sent me to Europe when I wanted to marry - that lawyer!"
"Well," I said, "that's nice, Claire, being in love, but take it slow - maybe he's just stringing you along."
"No," says she, "and oh, Buck is so wonderful - I love him so."
My answer to this was "Go to sleep and think about this."
Time passed - much more fun. Claire went home, leaving Buck - told her folks and I'm sure he waited to hear and I guess he did for next I heard "mom said Aunt Ethel wrote and said, 'Henry and I nipped that romance in the bud - making Claire reservations for Europe.'"
That they did and when Jerry and I visited her in the 1990s in Napierville, Ill., (outside of Chicago) she and I talked. She was settled down in her lovely home with her whippet Jade whom she loved so much. Travelling, doing good works - oh, so many things, she was really happy. She was handicapped due to being hit by a car a few months earlier and almost went to meet her maker. But, she was so happy and the three of us had a lot of laughs.
While Jery played with Jade - Claire took me into her room - lovely, lovely and said "Elaine, you may have anything you want in here." Well, I couldn't say, "I want your bedroom suite" - where would she and Jade sleep? - so I spied a lovely fold-up antique desk and very timidly (disbelief) and I said, "Well, I do like that, Claire."
"It's yours," said she, and proceeded to tell me she had purchased it in England, an antique shop and it was used to take with you on the carriages. It sits in my living room, open, near a window and my cat Tijou has found her favorite place. Winter, she tries to catch snowflakes - spring now, the birds.
Claire generous heart brought her so much happiness.
We talked as we hadn't in many years about when we were young and foolish. Buck's name came up (I brought it up - nosy me) - and she told me that he just disappeared when she told him her parents were sending her to Europe.
I wonder if they talked of when she came back. She told of her anger, her broken heart.
Neither of us have ever known what happened to Buck. I'd like to know - maybe a casualty of war?
Just wasn't meant to be, I guess, but I wouldn't trade their time with my cousin Claire for a million dollars.
I'll be seeing you, Claire - I'll bet in Heaven, someone will tell us - "where is Buck - love of your life?" -- wonder if she finds him, Aunt Ethel and Uncle Henry will send her to another cloud or galaxy? She has a real champion - our Lord - He won't let it happen.
Oh, I miss you, Claire.
Originally written on April 25, 2008.
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Is there hope for the world? - Elaine...
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Author:
Thanks for the Memories
The Move - Elaine Brown
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Thanks for the Memories
Friday, July 18, 2008
Remembering the War - Helen Gorczynski
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Author:
Thanks for the Memories
Friday, July 04, 2008
Out with Aunts - Mary Jane
(Not Rated)
Author:
Thanks for the Memories
Friday, June 27, 2008
Aunt Margaret and her candy - Carol S...
Author:
Thanks for the Memories
"It was a zoo out there" - Virginia C...
Author:
Thanks for the Memories
Remembering my cousin - Janette Brandon
(Not Rated)
Author:
Thanks for the Memories
Aunts, jokes, and pranks - Susan M. H...
(Not Rated)
Author:
Thanks for the Memories
My Cousin Claire - Elaine Brown
(Not Rated)
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Thanks for the Memories
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Time flies by me now - Susan M. Harris
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Thanks for the Memories
"...lucky to be a part of it" - Susan...
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Thanks for the Memories
Any George Harris paintings? - Susan ...
( 1 Photo )
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Author:
Thanks for the Memories
"...judge not..." - Susan M. Harris
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Thanks for the Memories
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Time goes by, but by who? - Janette B...
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Thanks for the Memories
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Things to remember - Mary Jane
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Thanks for the Memories
Time - A Poem
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Thanks for the Memories
Time, Oh Precious Time - Elaine Brown
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Thanks for the Memories
Spirituality, pizza, and a life lesso...
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Thanks for the Memories
Friday, May 09, 2008
Cars: From Luxury to Necessity - Pear...
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"I just went hysterical with laughter...
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Thanks for the Memories
Niagara Falls
, NY
Thanks for the Memories has posted
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