When you take psychology, you learn that sibling order typically has an impact on behavior and relationships in the family. With that in mind, last week I thought it might be interesting to know how Aunt Grace remembered each of her siblings as far as their interests, skills and sibling role went. She was quick to point out that with children spread over 28 years, they really didn't know each other very well growing up, but she was a good sport and gave us her memories as best she could. As usual, it became a fun, interesting conversation.
Uncle George would best be described as a provider for the family. She remembers that after he went to work in the Gravel Pit he would always turn his paycheck over to Grandpa. Aunt Grace believes that there were times the family would have had a hard time getting by if it weren't for him. She also remembers him as a great animal lover and that it wouldn't be uncommon to see him with a cat on his shoulder.
Uncle Henry was the sweetheart of the family. He was the quietest and always very considerate. Although he was quiet, he had a good sense of humor, enjoyed a good laugh and had a twinkle in his eye.
Aunt Bertha was the comedian of the older kids. She had a great sense of humor and was always very generous. An early memory of her generosity was when she'd come home from working and the younger kids would run out to meet her, knowing she would have treats for them.
All three of the older kids were hard working and responsible as was evident in the fact that Grandpa could trust them to go to Oswego alone to work the new farm. They were conscious of the younger kids and did things to include them; like taking them to the gravel pit to swim.
They apparently also knew how to combine fun with work and included the younger kids in those adventures as well. Aunt Grace vividly remembers the time George and Henry came to the farm with the Emilies and took the younger kids out to the pasture to drown gophers! Aunt Grace wasn't certain WHY they were drowning the gophers, so I did a bit of Googling. Turns out there are dual reasons for eliminating gophers in pastures: 1) Gophers quickly destroy the root system; turning the pasture to mud during a rainy season, and 2) livestock can step in one of the holes and break a leg. Although Aunt Grace didn't remember why they were drowning gophers she does remember how excited they got and how they would all cheer when they'd pour water down one hole and then see the poor critter float out of the hole at the other end!
My dad (aka Uncle Ray) was always a big helper. While he never had to help with household chores, he carried the bulk of the responsibilities for the outdoor chores from crops, to livestock, to machinery. Aunt Grace said he was probably the best kind of big brother a girl could ask for. I expected her to say he was a tease, but she said no; that they were all pretty serious.
Aunt Grace sees herself as the worker bee; responsible from a young age for household chores, some barn chores and family taxi driver after Ray left home. She was never much of a daredevil and didn't like roller coasters. If she went to a fair or a carnival, she enjoyed the Tilt-a-Whirl or the Merry-Go-Round. The Ferris Wheel was okay as long as she wasn't stuck at the top, especially with someone who liked to rock the car while up there! (I wonder if she ever rode it with my dad???) She was never really sure why, but she knows that Uncle Garnet didn't like her and always said that Janet was just like her!
Not surprisingly, Aunt Grace feels that she had the closest relationships with Ray and Marge. She remembers that she and Ray bought a bike from the Reppys for $2.50 and that they shared it with Aunt Marge. Grace rode the bike mostly for errands, without any tricks or daredevil stunts involved. Ray rode the bike more than the others for enjoyment; frequently popping wheelies and riding with no hands. For as much as Aunt Grace claims to have no coordination, it seems that Aunt Marge was the least coordinated of the three and had quite an adventure whenever she went for a bike ride. It turns out, Aunt Marge was unable to stop the bike on her own! Whenever she went for a ride, Ray and Grace had to watch for her to come home so that they could run out and catch her! If they were too late and missed her, Aunt Marge had to ride around the block another time so that Ray and Grace could catch her on the next round!
Aunt Dorothy was the after-thought baby of the family born 28 years after Uncle George and 6 years after Aunt Marge. She had a marvelous sense of humor and, along with Aunt Bertha, was a family comedian. In spite of the fact that Grandpa spoiled his baby girl, she was a hard worker and through her own determination, made it to college to become a teacher. She worked as a nurses aid, saved her money and got scholarships to reach her goal.
In spite of the 28 year age difference in the siblings, it was always apparent to me that the Zielke kids were all loyal to and supportive of one another. It was always a great joy to me to attend family reunions; to see their interaction and to hear their laughter. I hope each of you have similar memories of the family and that, like me, you've been able to follow their example as you've built relationships in your own families.
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