Remember That I Never Liked Good-byes

Today's post in our Honoring Martha series comes from Grandma's half-sister, Dolores Stocker, and her daughter, Debbie Schulaka.

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Hi Aunt Martha,

It’s Debbie, your niece from New Jersey. That is how you used to introduce me

to your Sunday School class when I visited. I just wanted to remind you of some

of the fun I had with you when I visited. You probably gave me my first driving

lesson. You would let me steer the car on a back road when we went on your

paper route. Thank you for letting Gina be there so much of the time when I was

there because I remember her being part of the fun also. I remember bump,

bump, bumping down those steps after having played with the play kitchen

upstairs in the old house. Standing on our heads in the hallway was always

something we had to do. Of course we were giggling our heads off. There was

also a time when we got to listen to Bye Bye Miss American Pie on Pat’s record

player a million times, or so it seemed. I remember you using that eyelash curler

on your eyelashes before you went out. That thing scared me. It still does. I

couldn’t believe it when my daughter started using one. I wrote you a letter

about it. Speaking of letters, I remember writing to you as a kid and asking about

all the grandchildren up there in New York State and you would always tell me

they were growing like weeds. Well I had better close for this time. Remember

that I never liked good byes when it was time to leave for home. So I won’t say

good bye now but instead just say I love you Aunt Martha.

Love,

Debbie

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I am not good with words and all that everyone has said about Martha it is all true.

What I remember, and that's not much these days, is Martha's fantastic molasses cookies and the huge turkey she used to cook all night in the oven. I think it may have been for Thanksgiving Day.

We did not get up to NYS that often and I was a lot younger than Martha. I remember always having fun there and sometimes they used to come down to Jersey.

Remember to love all your family, for tomorrow one could be gone. I miss my mom and dad a whole bunch and when I look back, I wish things could have been different.

~Dolores