Relatives

My parents came from two large families. My father was the oldest boy and my mother was the next to the youngest--a twin. When I was growing up I had lots of relatives but now have outlived most of them. My daughter Sally has gone to Colorado on her vacation and it reminds me of my rich uncle. He lived in Pueblo, Colorado in a hotel I think he owned. By the time I met him his wife had died so I do not remember her name but she was one of the Sharpe girls I think. His name was Morris Johnson and when he visited or we visited him he gave fifty cent coins to each of us so we called him "our rich uncle".

While I was growing up Kansas people liked to go to Colorado for vacations as you could get cool. Even my husband went to Colorado. My Uncle Bill and Aunt Ada rented a cabin. It was in Green Mountain Falls near Colorado Springs. One year we went there without my father. The cabin was small and there were a lot of us so I expect we slept on the floor. I remember driving up Pike's Peak and visiting the "Garden of the Gods". I think that was a place with funny shaped rocks but I kind of have forgotten so will ask Sally when she gets home.

Part of my mother's family went to California and raised dates. That was my Aunt Maude. I remember she cussed me out when she visited which I probably needed but did not appreciate. Later we visited the date farm. She always sent us dates for Christmas. The relatives that went to California were very tall and I had one cousin that was six foot which is tall for a girl. Since I never got taller than five foot four inches and have now shrunk on height not on weight I still look up at people.

In later years when our children would visit the Star with their father the editor would give them each a dollar. They loved it and had kind thoughts of him.