winnie on ice

(click to enlarge)

This photo was taken around 1905 in Ervin Township, Howard Co., Indiana, by the brother of the lady on the right, who is my great-great-aunt, Winifred "Winnie" Hanna, fondly known to us as "Auntie". If you look closely, you can see all three have their ice skates in tow. My best guess is they're off for an afternoon of fun, skating on the frozen Wild Cat Creek.

Winnie's two friends are Ava Everman (left) and Vella Hendrix (center). All three were born in the early 1880's and lived well into the 1970's. You might guess that Winnie is the youngest of the three, but in this case, smallest doesn't necessarily mean youngest. She was the tiniest little woman, who wore a size 4 shoe and stood under 5 feet in her stocking feet. Auntie never married, or had children, but she was always so very kind to all her nieces and nephews, and

embraced them as her own.

I remember her cute, neat-as-pin bungalow in Kokomo, Indiana. The hardwood floors were so highly polished, I would invariably go flying on the throw rugs every time I visited. Auntie was an excellent cook. I have never tasted a peach pie quite as delicious as hers. When I was a girl, she gave me several books, inscribed in the flyleaf, in small curly hand, "From Auntie", and still have them in my library today.

Speaking of Auntie's book inscriptions, as a strange synchronicity, my father actually stumbled onto one of Auntie's books in a random antique store in Illinois. Just pulled a book from the shelf, and there was her sweet handwriting, with her name on the flyleaf, as if it were calling his name.

Winnie and Neva

Shortly after the death of her sister, Neva, in 1971, Auntie gave me Neva's rose gold engagement ring. I have worn it nearly every day since I was 15, and can feel the positive energies of these dear ladies through this lovely treasure.

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