Janingalina

Great Aunt Ethel, Auntie Et. She passed today. She lived alone in Ann Arbor, in a small house with 20-some cats always coming and going. The house has been donated to shelter people training for missionary work. The cats have been taken by other aunts and cousins, cat-ladies down to their toes.

Late one weeknight in 97 or 98, my friend Stephanie and I carried her out of the U of M hospital, packed her into the back seat (not the back-back) of my teal Escort Wagon and drove her to her house a few miles away. We had to carry her up the front porch stairs on our linked arms. For a small woman, she was heavy. She'd tripped and broken her foot in one of those freak delicate-old-lady accidents. She always wore Permanent Press Sears plaid dresses, the kind with a tie belt, patch pockets and a big zipper up the front.

She was a knitter. Usually knitting for babies in her church. Layette sets. Amongst her things there was a thank you note my mom had written back in 1980. This is yours truly in an orange Et original:


I've inherited a bunch of her needles and some yarn. I won't be attending services, but I'll be thinking of her. She always remembered our birthdays.