Auntie Mae

Today my family held a Memorial service for my dear 97 year old auntie. Auntie Mae was one of those very rare women who was like a mom to our family. After serving in the RCAF as a Colonel, Auntie Mae did not marry. She worked as an anchor in my dad's lumber business, running the office and keeping the books. Whenever dad and mom would want to get away for another honeymoon from us 6 kids, Auntie Mae would care for us.

When she was 52 she finally met Derrick who became the love of her life until he died in 1983. During those years Auntie moved away to Little Fort, north of Kamloops and the 2 were farmers together for all of their married life. Every summer as a teen ager I would go and live with them on their farm. I learned a lot about life from Auntie Mae and Uncle Derrick. I painted their old farm house (4 coats) , worked at harvesting, milking cows, castrating bulls--you know, regular farm stuff. A very memorable day was when I was 16 and Auntie's adopted daughter, who was only a few weeks old, got her head caught between the wooden bars of her crib, She was turning red and then white, but Auntie could not get her out. When she cried for help, I ran into the room and was able to dislodge Carlene from her prison. Auntie Mae always credited me with saving her daughter's life.

Auntie Mae was a woman of faith. She sang in the choir in 1928 when Aimee Semple McPherson came to town and then invited my mom to Sunday School at the brand new church at Hastings and Pender in Vancouver. Mom was only 10 years old at the time, and later met my dad (Auntie Mae's brother) , but it was that momentous occasion that ultimately changed the path of my family's life. I owe a great debt to my beloved Auntie and will miss her. She is doing well and has just been donned with her Crown of Righteousness!