A Matriarch has passed.

Last night my Aunt Marie passed away.  At ninety years old it took lung cancer to take her down.  She was my mother's oldest sibling.  In a family of five girls and one boy, she stood out as the one, in my mind, with the power and strength to lead.  Born in the early 1920s, she grew to adulthood during WWII.  Aunt Marie retired from Fort Omaha.  Though she was the smallest in the family, I have no problem envisioning her bossing solders on the job. 

I remember the irises she used to collect and grow at her house.  The iris always brings to mind my mother and her sister Marie.  Uncle Art and Aunt Marie used to have more than their share of family gatherings at their house.  The cookouts and baseball games in the summer.  The Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners they took turns hosting with the rest of her sisters and their families will always be well remembered. 

One of my favorite memories is one baseball game played in their very large yard.  Everyone participated.  The three Uncle Toms all played.  To differentiate between them we called them Uncle Tom Tom, the only boy amongst the five sister,.Uncle Big Tim, my aunt June's husband, and Uncle Round Tom, Aunt Claire's husband.