raconteur and keeper of the family history and genealogy, a devoted diarist and writer at heart.
Aunt Pat was a professional photographer for many years back in the days of the big wooden
box cameras and 4-by-5 sheet negatives. She took mostly portraits, including baby pictures of me and my brothers, all naked on the bed in the old fashion. She hand-tinted her sepia-toned portraits with transparent oils— truly a lost art. They were all women of strong religious faith. My father’ s sister Aunt Mabel would play the piano, and she would rock that thing, I mean really rock it. Of course, it was sacred music, hymns.
Shortly after I entered the ministry in mid-life, Aunt Mabel was visiting with some of my dad’ s people. As they were leaving, she got me aside and asked me, real serious,“ Now, when they ordained you, did they lay hands on you?”“ No ma’ am.” Aunt Mabel real quickly slipped her hand up around the back of my neck, bowed her head and asked a prayer of blessing on me and my ministry right then and there. No fuss, no muss, all done in 30 seconds.
They were all interesting people. •
Reprinted from 2010.
Jan./ Feb. 2023 • Our Brown County 57