Happy Birthday To My Aunt Florence!

My Aunt Margie, my Grandmother holding Aunt Florence, and my Mom.

(There are not too many pictures of my Aunt Margie because she had a heart condition and spent a lot of time in the hospital when she was young. I know I have pictures somewhere of the four sisters together but I couldn't find them in time for this post.)

My Aunt Marion, my Grandfather, my Aunt Florence, and my Mom.

Aunt Marion, my Grandmother, my Mom standing in front of her, and Aunt Florence off to the side.

Aunt Marion, my Mom, Aunt Florence

My Mom, my Grandfather, my Aunt Florence

Aunt Florence
(my Mom told me that they spent a lot of time 'up on the roof' and I can see from a lot of their pictures that they really did!)

I think the three pictures below are all school pictures but I'm not sure:

Aunt Marion, Mom, Aunt Florence

Mom, (I think the girl in the Communion dress is my cousin Mary), Aunt Florence

(up on the roof again!)

I want to wish a very Happy Birthday to my Aunt Florence. She is my Mom's youngest sister, and I feel very close to her.
When we were growing up we lived right next door to my Aunt Florence, Uncle Tom, and my cousin Jimmy in a semi-attached house. Their home seemed like an extension of our home and I think I spent as much time playing next door as I did in my own home. There was no fence separating the backyards so it was like one big play yard, and Uncle Tom had set up a swing set for us, and in the summer he had a little play pool set up for us, and my Mom hung out her laundry to dry on a wash line that was set up on their side too. Our side of the yard had a garage and next to the garage was a little concrete patio with a picnic table and a barbecue and every Saturday in the summer my Dad and Uncle Tom would barbecue and we'd eat at the picnic table, then we'd run off to enjoy the pool and/or the swing set.
I remember too all the fun we had in the winter with my Aunt Florence, Uncle Tom, and Jimmy making snow forts in the back yard, and we would have 'wars' with Aunt Florence heading up the girls team and Uncle Tom head of the boys team. And they would take us sledding at the golf course. Some of the happiest times of my childhood were spent with my Aunt Florence, my Uncle Tom, and my cousin Jimmy.
Aunt Florence brought all of us girls our bouquets on our First Communion days, Aunt Florence used to bring us to the Easter Show (there was a little song and dance show and then a movie) at Radio City Music Hall, Aunt Florence and Uncle Tom took my sister Diane and I to our first Broadway Play (South Pacific), and Aunt Florence and Uncle Tom would always have some of the kids from our family along with them when they went on their summer vacations to Florida.
Aunt Florence and Uncle Tom were always the first ones out at Belmont Lake State Park to set up all the picnic tables for our family picnic reunions. And their home was the gathering spot for many family parties, Birthdays, Christmas, Fourth of July, and I remember the Sing-Along-With-Mitch nights.
Aunt Florence was like a second mother to me and I went to her just as often as I went to my own Mom for love, comfort, guidance, and advice.

Florence was there for every important occasion in my life, Communion, Confirmation, Graduations, my Wedding Day, she was there as Ray and I welcomed each new baby, and she was there for all the little moments too, and she and Uncle Tom were always there to lend a helping hand, lend support, and lend a shoulder to cry on. They were a wonderful couple and upheld many of us through trying times. There may have been times that we were down, but we knew we were never 'down and out' when Aunt Florence and Uncle Tom were around. Anytime we were moving, they were right there to help pack a box, drive a truck, move furniture, paint a room, anything that was needed, they were right there. If a family member was sick, they were right there at the door willing to fill any need. Aunt Florence's Cheesecake was at every party, and Uncle Tom was right there with his movie camera at every occasion. And they were good friends to Ray & I too, we had lots of fun with them on vacations, and camping trips, and we enjoyed their company and many times we would just drop in on each other for no reason at all.

I admire my Aunt Florence so much, and I am in awe of her Faith and her strength to carry on through so many hardships and heartaches. My cousin Jimmy, her only child, passed away fifteen years ago, and she had to see him suffer through many battles in his life, ending with losing a battle to cancer. She lost the love of her life, my Uncle Tom, it will be nine years this March that he is gone. Florence never complains, she never wallows in self-pity, and her Faith in God never falters.
We are all so Blessed to have this wonderful, loving, giving woman in our lives.

Happy Days! On one of our camping trips to Disney World.

Florence, myself, Ellie (in front of me), Andrew, my sister Diane, Uncle Tom, Steve,
and my nephew William in front.

Florence and Tom at their 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration.

Aunt Marion and Aunt Florence holding little Tommy (her great-great grand-nephew on his Christening day).

This was taken on a cruise a few years ago.

This is Florence celebrating her 80th Birthday a few years ago.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AUNT FLORENCE!

To my family:
I know you read here, and I know that I forgot lots of wonderful things to write here, so please fill in my blanks! What's your favorite memory of Aunt Florence?