Requiescat in pace, Aunt Jean

We're back from a three day whirlwind tour to Cassville, Missouri to pay final respects to my Aunt Jean, a truly remarkable woman. She was my dad's baby sister, the youngest of ten children born on a rock farm in the beautiful Ozarks just outside of Shell Knob, MO. She graduated from the University of Missouri and taught home economics for a few years before returning to Barry County where she married Uncle Emory and they gave the world cousins Russ and Stan.

Not only was she an educator (both in public schools and the First Baptist Church), but also a successful business woman who owned a printing company and published a newspaper. Her husband served six terms as a Senator in the Missouri state legislature, and Aunt Jean was still winning the legislative spouses' annual golf tournament well into her sixties. She survived cancer (55+years) and the loss of an adult child. She was an excellent seamstress and craftswoman, and the consummate homemaker. As my cousin-in-law Cindy observed, she lived her life by the Bible and the Home Economics handbook.

When I teach Maslow's hierarchy of needs to students, I use my Aunt Jean as the exemplar of a self-actualized human. In 1984, she and Uncle Emory were invited to attend President Reagan's second inauguration and all of the attendant festivities. In what I feel was the ultimate complement to this recognition of her husband's career and her support and partnership, my Aunt Jean made her own dress. And she looked spectacular. It was a Vogue pattern, I can't recall the designer, but I'm sure it was one of those tres difficile ones, and she made a special trip to Kansas City to scout Cy Rudnick's and Kaplan's for the perfect fabric and notions. I love telling that about her.

Aunt Jean was very ill for the last years of her life, but she was able to stay at home. Poor Uncle Emory, I know he will miss her terribly, but he seemed to be relieved that her suffering was done. My new resolution - an Easter resolution, is that done? - is to write him a letter once a month. He likes history and politics, I should be able to find some thought or observation to share with him.