Aunt Jeannette

She isn't actually my "Aunt" at all. She is my grandfather's first cousin and my grandmother's best friend. So my dad called her Aunt Jeannette and we call her our Great Aunt Jeannette.

While I was in Arkansas visiting my parents, my Aunt Jeannette died. Thus we took another road trip and drove up to Indiana to attend the viewing and funeral. I am glad for the timing to be quite honest. I love my Aunt Jeannette and found out SO many fun things about her that I never knew. She was 97/98 (I can't recall right this moment). She had lived quite the full life. And she was full of life until her life here ended.

My Aunt Jeannette was so spunky. Always had a twinkle in her eye. You never quite knew what you would get with her. One of the stories that we heard was that when she was 5 she ran away from home. She didn't run away from home because she was naughty or unhappy. She ran away from home and ran TO the school house so that she could attend school. She wanted to learn. Now in 1916 I guess it wasn't typical that the little girls got much in the way of education. But she had so much enthusiasm and I am sure there was nothing they could do to get her out of the schoolhouse that they let her stay.

(Please excuse the pictures. They are pictures of pictures from a photo album)

Another story I heard was that when she was about the age in this picture she decided she didn't like her given name which was Jenny. Apparently mules were named Jenny and she didn't want to be associated with mules. So her parents allowed her to legally change her name at the age of 12-ish.

She was single for a lot of her life. She worked for the newspaper of this little village she grew up in and then moved to Indianapolis to work for the paper there.

She then met and married the love of her life. She got married when she was 40. Then at 42 she had her twins. Doesn't she look absolutely beautiful??

And that hot lady next to her is my Gramma Alice.

This is the morning after the wedding...

This is actually the only time I ever remember seeing her nails done...

These folks are her parents...

This is her dad in his 20s....

Whenever I think about my Aunt Jeannette I think of spunk and life. I think of her beautiful cracked laugh. I think about playing Euchre in her tiny house in Indy that she lived in since the twins were babies. I think about living life to its fullest and enjoying every bit as much as you can.

**Edit: Scott just reminded me of her cat. I have absolutely no idea what this cat's name was originally... but she always called him DC. I just called him DC as well and then one day it came up what DC meant?? Damn Cat. She called him DC for short.**

One thing that we noticed during the viewing is her beautiful dress. Then as we were watching the video of their wedding my sister in law wondered if it was the same dress. I went to Jeannette's daughter in law and asked her. She smiled and said that Jeannette always said she wanted to be buried in her wedding dress. And if it didn't fit then they better just split the damn thing up the back.

That is SO Aunt Jeannette....

I will miss her terribly.