Ohio

Aunt Vera is such a delight!  - See the resemblance?

This week marked my first visit to the state of Ohio to visit my great aunt Vera, the sister of my grandma Imogene.  Aunt Vera is a spry, fun-loving lady who is an inspiration to me.  She actively exercises, uses her computer everyday, goes out and about, drives her friends around, eats right, and stays young and healthy.

I first met Aunt Vera when she came to California in the summer of 1996 to visit us, and since then she has made several trips out our way.  However, this was my first opportunity to visit her at her own home, and have quality time one-on-one.  She is such a fascinating woman, and has lived a life full of adventure.  I can only hope that I will do as many fun things in my life as she has done.

View from our lunch table

She lives in a small town of 11,000 people called Galion, Ohio.  My favorite part of the town was all the old colonial-style homes, many of which have been renovated and look amazing.  While I was there, we took a hour-and-a-half road trip up to Cleveland, which is on the edge of Lake Eerie.  After a short driving adventure, we found the restaurant we were looking for and ate lunch on a cliff that overlooks the lake.  It was a very foggy day, so the lake lived up to it's name...But I have to say that my "almond pistachio tilapia with lavender honey butter" was absolutely delicious!




But, most of my time with Aunt Vera was spent in conversation around the house.  We looked through old photographs from the Chance side of the family (my maternal grandmother's side), going back to the Smith's and even O'Neal's.  I pulled out several photos to scan and put on my computer, some of which I had never seen before.

Great-Grandpa "Slim" Chance, Great-Grandma Lennie,
with Grandma Imogene & Great-Aunt Gwen

Aunt Vera also told me all kinds of family stories that I had never heard before.  I heard about my great-great grandpa, who was a bugle/drummer boy for the Union in the Civil War, and my great-grandma's sister who married a professional photographer around the turn of the century, and my great-grandpa's birthtown, which is now at the bottom of a lake.  I sat down with all the resources Aunt Vera had, and created a family tree on my laptop.  It was great to have her there to answer all my questions about our family, since she is the only one from that generation, and she has a lot of information to pass on!

Just listening to her talk about our family made me feel closer to them.  Looking through the photos and hearing about the lives they lived, made them more real to me.  Pictures of people who were once strangers to me suddenly came to life as I realized not only did these people live real lives, but they are my heritage.  I am a part of them, and it is my responsibility to carry on their legacy.

Yesterday, Aunt Vera took me to rent my car to journey to Indiana for the next leg of my trip.  But as I drove through the beautiful scenery of Ohio, I still thought about all the people in my family who have gone before me and how important it is for me to stay connected to those in my family who are here with me now.  I love each one of them so much, and I hope that the circumstances that life brings will keep me close to them.