Aunt Grace

Word came yesterday that my Aunt Grace died near Atlanta. She was the wife of my Uncle Bill, who was my father's brother. He died about 18 years ago. Uncle Bill and Aunt Grace lived in Atlanta pretty much their entire life together. They were well-to-do, and she liked the life in Atlanta society. In some ways, she was a little standoffish, but in other ways she was very caring. Just when you thought you had figured her out, she would surprise you. For example, she used to dispise going to Greenwood to visit Grandmother. After all, Greenwood was a small town, and it wasn't Atlanta. It didn't have much to offer in her mind. But, in her later life, she moved to Greenwood and lived there for a few years. We all thought that was funny, but Aunt Grace was determined not to be pigeon-holed. Even though she was getting older, she would drive herself in her Cadillac everywhere. She had a small dog called Coco who was her companion for many years. When Uncle Bill was alive, they built a log cabin in their backyard, and turned it into a show place. After he retired, they were going to move to an antibellum house outside Atlanta. They were to sign the papers on a Monday, and it got hit by lightning on Sunday and burned to the ground. They kept their house in Atlanta. I used to get in trouble with my parents about what I used to call Aunt Grace. I would refer to her as "George Washington". With her white hair, standing up straight, her high forehead, and her sharp nose, she looked to me as George on the one dollar bill. I didn't mean any disrespect. She came to my father's funeral in Greenwood by herself, which was the last time I saw her. In the last year, her health started to get worse. It was clear that her time was short. My cousin Ann Foster did a great job in taking care of her. She was a very independent woman. Aunt Grace, we loved you.