The oldest generation
Family and friends of my Uncle Eugene gathered to mark his 90th birthday last weekend. He has been a fixture in my life, even before I was born.
He married my mom’s oldest sister, Lillie Mae. They stayed married until she passed away in 1986 from a brain aneurysm. He was one year from his retirement and they had plans; plans that he had to abandon, but he never abandoned us, his family. He has continued being a part of our family the 31 years that Aunt Lil has been gone.
He was redheaded and freckle-faced and sometimes he was scary. He was scary because his baby son, my cousin John, was constantly getting us into trouble. John got mad at me one time and hit me with a pine cone. I picked up the pine cone and threw it back at him and wham, right in the forehead. He reached down and grabbed a metal toy trailer; I ducked just in time. Over my head and right into the shop door, hitch first. And it there it stuck, knocking a hole in the only thing standing between us and his daddy.
John looked at me and I looked at him. We didn’t say one word; we both jumped up and ran like our hinies were already on fire! We ran deep into the woods, but we could hear him yelling our names. He always, always, always, and still to this day, calls us by our first and middle names. “John Albert! Brenda Gail! Y’all better get back here.”
Nope! We weren’t going back. Not until he cooled off anyway.
Despite his being mad at us often, he was a great role model in how to treat a wife. He was kind and loving to her and would do anything for her. He bought her jewelry, cars, whatever she needed or wanted. And he loved her. He was devastated when she passed. We all were.
They were each other’s best friend. We saw them often walking to the garden, hand in hand. They watched TV together. By trade, he worked for Cotton Belt Railroad and was often dispatched to derailments but most of the time he was home, right after work. She was a seamstress and he loved woodworking. They made quite a team. Her sewing room and his woodshop are a huge part of my memories.
Besides being a great husband, father and uncle, the most important thing he was, was a man of God.
He is still is a man of God. He said the blessing over the food at the birthday party and I just wanted to cry. It was so special to hear him pray again and to think it might be one of the last times just breaks my heart.
In a few short years, John and I will be the oldest generation. I don’t think I will hold up to the examples my Aunts and Uncles were. I am grateful they were there and I am trying to become a better person daily; In case God lets me hang around that long, I want to be a sweet little lady.
Tell me your favorite aunt or uncle story. I would love to hear from you.