Aunt Verna was my mom's oldest sibling and very much a part of my family's life while I was growing up. I am not sure I had ever mentioned to anyone but I was always delighted when mom would share" we are going to Idaho Falls today and we will be stopping by Verna's and Jay's." I loved going to their home.
Just to describe its physical appearance, it was simple but clean and neat on the outside - a one story brick home with a one car garage. You went up a few steps to the front door and entered right into the living room. The living room had a fireplace on the west side and right in front of the window was a humungous birds nest fern, that fern will always be a memory of mine, it always overwhelmed me by the size; the only other person I have seen grow a plant almost that huge would be my brother Curtis. From the living room you walked into the dining room, the table was always clear except at meal time than it was neatly set with dishes. The kitchen was to the west with a "bar" to sit at for breakfast eating, or lunch - we had a bar at our home but for some reason it seemed way more fun at Aunt Verna's. A little later in their life, a sun room was added where you could overlook the amazingly lovely vegetable garden, often the sun room was where we started to gather to visit in. The hallway to the bedrooms was in between the dining room and living room, three simple rooms but clean, neat rooms. The bathroom was fun, there was a wall that had glass "bricks", I thought they were so cool. - they were on the wall between the two bathrooms, the family bathroom and the master bathroom. For some reason that slight "openness" never bothered me. The stairs leading downstairs were right off the front door, you went straight down and than turned west a few more stairs, for some reason that was the most awesome stairway - it probably was because I did not know any other stairways with a turn in the middle of them. Downstairs was wide open, a large room where many could gather; we celebrated Christmas parties there occasionally and my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. Downstairs was the game room and held cousin Alan's drum set, we would go there to play or watch TV while the grownups visited upstairs in the living room. The backyard was pretty much a simple basic rectangle but there was always a vegetable garden and in the summer, we would go outside and pick a tomato or some lettuce or some other vegetable or dig up a potato or two to eat with a meal there or take home for later. Their home was just a delight to be in. I truly appreciated the order, cleanliness and simplistic of it.
I am not sure that is the only reason or even the reason I enjoyed visiting at Aunt Verna's. One thought is I always felt so grown up when we went there. Yes, there was many the time Katherine and I would just run downstairs to play, but it seemed most often we stayed upstairs with the grown ups and enjoy the talking. I am not sure I even ever contributed to the visiting but it was as we were part of it and were never too young to not hear what was being shared. Aunt Verna had a voice of gentleness but sophistication about her, it was just the way she spoke. If she was sharing a recipe or idea, you understood it - she always took the time to explain right down to the detail. I recognize now that I am a detail person and that may have been why I so enjoyed listening to her talk. But her voice is something I will always remember, it was even still there as she aged and became less able, but that clear gentle sophisticated voice always came from her mouth.
I mention her sharing recipes because I will always think of Aunt Verna being a cook. If we showed up a lunch time she would prepare something for us to eat. I envision a simple meal of soup and crackers at her home but it was served with care and love; simple but elegant. I remember some "fancy" jello dish with carrots and whipped topping - it felt like such a treat. She made a delicious stew; in my early married years I traveled with my mom and children and stayed at Aunt Verna and Uncle Jay's time share in Island Park, Idaho - I remember her making her stew one afternoon. There was so much involvement it seemed it took her all day to cook it it. But it really was just the care she took to prepare and serve, probably with fresh bread too. If asked by my mom on our drive to Idaho Falls, if I wanted to eat lunch out at a restaurant or Aunt Verna's, my inevitable Aunt Verna's was chosen. It felt "fancy" to eat at Aunt Verna's. Cooking was a constant part of her life, or at least a constant part of my memory of her.
Dear Aunt Verna,
I love you, I miss you, I thank you, I aspire to honor your memory and grace.
Love,
Your niece Ellen
