As a young child my grand aunt often told me stories about her youth. She was in her seventies at [View all]
Last edited Wed Sep 6, 2017, 03:33 PM - Edit history (1)
the time and I was seven or eight. One of the life events she shared with me were the deaths of her younger brothers. She was born in 1881 and her siblings Robert and John were born in 1883 and 1885 respectively. They boys were inseparable as they grew.
On a cold December day they decided to go ice skating on a local pond. Although the ice was solid on the perimeter it couldn't bear their weight near the center. The ice under Robert cracked as they skated toward the middle of the pond. Robert plunged into the freezing water. John dove in to save his older brother. Somehow John was able to push Robert out of the water but was unable to get out himself. John drowned.
Robert was taken to the hospital near death. He suffered a number of complications from the experience including chronic pleurisy. He died 15 months later.
I remember my aunt always wept when she told me about Robert and John saying how much she missed them, even as she neared death herself.
I had forgotten many of the things she told me, but the story about her brothers stayed with me.
Recently I had a DNA analysis done and as a result began researching my family history. In doing so I located the graves of my long lost grand uncles who are all but forgotten.
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