In Loving Memory of Aunt Gloria
Recently, I lost more than an aunt , for my Aunt Gloria meant so much more to me than that. This photo of us seated together was taken about ten years ago in front of her cabin near Antelope Lake where our families shared so many memories. My aunt welcomed me to stay with her at the family ranch at a time just before I became a teenager when my family was struggling to stay together. She rooted me in my Father's extended family making up for his absence. By educating me about our family ancestry, she gave me a sense of belonging and identity. Her great grandfather, my great great grandfather, Benjamin Leavitt had settled in Susanville in the early 1800s. Our family were pioneers. It was the second summer that I recall the most reverence. Aunt Gloria and I made curtains for the cabin and school cloths for me. Mom had moved us from Nevada to California. It was so special to have new school cloths to wear to the new school there. I helped out in the hay field, baked cak