There you are, Aunt Fern!

My aunt Fern ... she was a true treasure, a real gift from God. Honestly, this woman was wonderful. She was my Dad's aunt, his mother's sister. My grandfather could not STAND his sister in law. Well, maybe that is harsh.. he had his differences with her, probably because she was a STRONG woman for their time. I mean ... this woman was a strong person. She flew airplanes. She worked in factories in Cleveland, and enjoyed her beer when she came home from work. She was married to a man named Chic. I mean, c'mon! You can't be married to a man named Chic and not be strong yourself. I remember the time she told me that she and Chic took a vacation ... with the woman who Chic was having an affair with! Aunt Fern would get so worked up when she told that story.

She lived in Cleveland most of her life, until 1986 when we moved her down here to Findlay. She had received a pretty good settlement from a bus company that hit her and a friend, and buggered her up pretty good. But she went on with life in true Aunt Fern fashion.

My friends loved to hear Aunt Fern stories, and there were plenty of them. Aunt Fern walked with a cane, then a walker. She coudln't see, and she couldn't hear. One time I told her that my ex-boyfriend was engaged. I said "hey Aunt Fern, Dan is engaged." "He's what?" "engaged, Aunt Fern." "WHAT?" "ENGAGED!" "Dan's GAY!? I KNEW something was wrong with him!"

She had a crush on her neighbor across the street in her condo area. His name was Bob Hamilton, may he rest in peace. Bob knew EVERYthing that happened in that subdivision, and didn't care if everyone knew that he had to know everything. She would go all gaga over Bob delivering her mail, or stopping by for a visit. Poor Bob lost his life to some lunatic, and they still have not solved his murder. Thankfully, Aunt Fern had already been moved out to the assisted living facility. She wouldn't have been able to handle it, I don't think.

So Aunt Fern couldn't hear. She would turn her hearing aids up and down, and we would be able to hear the aids screeching in her ears. We would wince, but she was never affected. We could never understand how she could stand that high pitched squeal in her ear, but I guess she really couldn't hear it.

I found where Aunt Fern lives now (she died two and a half, almost three years ago ... St. Patrick's Day, to be exact)... she lives in an Arlington man because this is something Aunt Fern would have done:

Docket entry: An Arlington man contacted the sheriff's office to complain that heard locust in his house on Saturday morning. When deputies responded, the man apologized, saying he discovered the sound had been coming from his hearing aid, which needed new batteries.

Hello Aunt Fern. Glad to have you back.