WC #7: My Twin Aunts

Bet you didn't know I had twin aunts!  Wonderful women that I love dearly!  So similar but SO unique!

Aunt Grace & DeeDee Bridesmaids
September 11, 1942

They were born April 23, 1925.  Both have brown hair and brown eyes.  That's it.  That's where the similarity ends.  Common with fraternal twins, you might think.  Well, perhaps you've heard of twins born with different fathers?  Well, not only did my aunts have different fathers, they had different mothers!

Yep!  Grace Louise was the third child born to Reinhold and Martha Zielke.  

Aunt Helen, Dad (Raymond)
& Aunt Grace

Dorothy Pearl was the only child born to Edward and Pearl Hill.

(My mother was adopted when Grandpa & Grandma didn't think they'd have children.)

Young DeeDee

My mother always found it quite entertaining that when questioning her mother and her mother-in-law about the births of their two daughters born in the same general area of northern Illinois, one woman described it as snowy and unseasonably cold while the other said it was a beautiful spring day!  One has to wonder if it had anything to do with birth number....

DeeDee never married and lived with my grandparents until each of them passed away.  Then she inherited the home she grew up in and the "425 house" and made her living through the rent received from those properties.  She was a wonderful, loving aunt who passed away in November, 1986.  While I knew DeeDee much better than I knew my Aunt Grace and could tell a multitude of stories about her, m y purpose for including her in this post is to recognize this as her birthday and my appreciation and love for her throughout my childhood and young adult years. More about her in posts to come....

Dee with Grandma circa 1964

But now I turn to Aunt Grace.  Aunt Grace is the reigning matriarch of the Zielke family; the lone survivor of the eight children born to Reinhold Zielke and, thankfully, she is going strong!  I remember that I always enjoyed it when we got to stop at her house for a visit on our way to/from Illinois when we lived in Wisconsin, since she lived in Harvard, near the state line.

Marge, Dorothy, Henry, Bertha, Raymond & George
Helen, Grandma & Grace

Aunt Grace married Austin Pope and had four beautiful daughters: Kathy, Marcia, Nan & Jeanine.  I don't know for certain, but I think Aunt Grace may have been my father's favorite sister.  At least I could see them getting into a lot of trouble together.  I seem to remember a lot of laughter whenever they were together and I do remember hearing a story about my father and a friend of his kidnapping  Aunt Grace on her wedding day...

I've had the pleasure of getting reacquainted with Aunt Grace over the past decade and have had the chance to introduce most of my kids to her and I have to say, they love her!

Me, Aunt Grace, (cousin) Marcia, Brooks with Ethan
Dylan, Uncle Austin, Andi & Sami (April, 2005)

In fact, we were VERY excited when Aunt Grace and three of her daughters came to spend a week in northern Idaho when I lived there!  It was a fabulous week!  Even though I had to work part of it, we spent what time we could together and I gave them some pointers of additional places they could go for side-trips while I was at work.  I say "we" were excited because Brandon, Barton and their wives were able to be there as well and my boys found out how much fun the Zielke family can be!

Nan & Kathy
Jeanine & Aunt Grace

Through our many adventures that week including a picnic and rounds of "Killer Bunnies" the boys decided their new-found Zielke relatives were somewhat reminiscent of "The Golden Girls" and nicknamed Kathy-Dorothy, Nan-Blanche, Jeanine-Rose and Aunt Grace-Sophia!  And they took it in stride and laughed right along!

We even all took a dinner cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene!

I really wish I had more stories to tell about my Aunt Grace.  I know she's a fabulous woman and I feel so very blessed that we still have her in our lives.  She's an early voting judge, volunteers at the local food pantry and the Bethesda Thrift Shop.  She's involved in many church activities including being the congregational secretary and she enjoys quilting. She's SOOOO cool.  Not only does she take fun vacations and keep tabs on family (wherever we all may be) but she is online and sends us emails and even MORE impressive, she's on FaceBook!  

Which is why I know she'll put to good use the birthday present the "Sloan" family would like to present to her.  Thanks to the hard work of my daughter,  Brooks, and my daughter-in-law, Emily, we proudly present to Aunt Grace on her 88th birthday, her very own blog: : "Everyone Needs a Little Grace"!!!  Now she'll be guided and inspired to put in writing all of those wonderful stories that her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces & nephews and on and on...can love and enjoy for years and generations to come!

Visit Aunt Grace's new blog here:  http://www.everyoneneedsalittlegrace.blogspot.com/

In closing, Aunt Grace, I think I speak for the whole family as I say thank you for being the solid foundation of our family. Thank you for being so much fun and thank you for sharing your love and laughter with us.  We love you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AUNT GRACE!!!

AND MANY, MANY MORE!!!