A Goodbye to My Aunt Reta
My Aunt Reta, also loving known as Retabageta. Early memories of her include going to her house after elementary school with my cousins where she would color in coloring books with us and give us Chow Mein Noodles to snack on. She was full of interesting conversations from the books she read, knowledge she stored away, and BritBox mysteries she watched.
Whenever we would call and ask if we could come for a visit she would always be ready waiting with the front door wide open. She was a wiz with the computer and Excel was a specialty. I remember being in awe the first time I heard her typing, I was so impressed at her speed! With her endless creativity, Reta was a master behind a sewing machine and was always working on one project or the other. A fun memory is whenever she got a new car she would take us for a ride. Her life was not always easy and she overcame many physical challenges but didn’t let them stop her from doing the things she loved.
She was a gourmet cook and gave us many wonderful culinary memories. I specifically remember her Bourbon balls and exquisite pies with picture-perfect crusts. She made a universally famous Cherry pie! My youngest son remembers going to her house several years ago when she made him a plate of spaghetti which I’m pretty sure had homemade pasta sauce. She boiled the noodles in her see-through glass pot, a thrilling thing to watch as a child. Whether she was cooking, sewing, or chatting her love was evident, we all felt it.
She will be missed. If I had a quilt filled with fabric squares, each square representing a person I’ve known and loved, my square representing Aunt Reta would be extra fancy. It would be a beautiful unique design using many different fabrics with textures and colors abounding and of course, it would have exceptional attention to detail. Just like her, it would be a gem. It was a gift to know her and have her as my aunt.
Love you, Aunt Reta.
