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| Irma Kamile Eley born 3 Mar 1912 Eros, Jackson Parish, Louisiana |
Most people have a relative that is special to them, whether it
is in being generous, kind, treating you special, or other reasons. There is
one favorite relative that we remember. That one relative who you have fond memories of, and you are happy when you think of them. My Aunt Irma is my favorite Aunt. There were other aunts such as Aunt Gladys,
Aunt Ellen, Aunt Dolly Hall, Great Aunts Leakie Lee, and Aunt Dolly Edwards,
but Aunt Irma was the One. Why was she my favorite? What are the memories that
I have of her? Who was she?
Aunt Irma lived in Port Arthur, Texas and was at one time married to Uncle Morris Coon, mother’s oldest brother. They married 20 Sep 1930 in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana. They had three children two girls and one boy. So, their children were my double first cousins. Then, one day Aunt Irma and Uncle Morris divorced.
Four years ago I reconnected with my double first cousin eldest daughter
of Aunt Irma and Uncle Morris, after having lost contact since the early
sixties. Aunt Irma came to visit us often when I was growing up in West Carroll
Parish; however, when my family moved from West Carroll to Lincoln Parish she didn’t
visit. Probably the reason for that was in West Carroll the sisters, aunts, her mother, brother and other relatives lived there. When she
did visit us those visits were memorable.
Aunt Irma worked as a waitress in a drug store in Port
Author, and in my child’s eyes she was rich. She brought us girls' clothes when she came to visit; usually
two or three large bags of clothes. Those
are “hand-me-down” clothes, not new ones. But to us girls they were new and
very much needed. Aunt Irma would give us girls a haircut while there. Now, I
have to tell you that hair cut lasted until her next visit the next summer. She
“chopped” our hair off until we looked like boys. But we didn’t have any say over
those hair cuts because it didn’t cost us anything. So, Mother was very pleased with the haircut. Well, the hair would grow and
we would look like girls again. One summer she was on to a new project. Aunt
Irma decided it was time for the girls to get their ears pierced so Mary,
Kathryn, and I got our ears pierced. Jean and Polly didn’t want their's pierced. We were excited about having our ears pierced and couldn't wait to start back to school to tell our friends.
The visits were almost always visits where she made
alone; her children didn’t come with her. One time I remember her bringing a
granddaughter, but her trips were made from Port Arthur to West Carroll Parish
alone. They were memorable visits and I treasure the memories of Aunt Irma's visits to Louisiana. She was fun loving, dressed to perfection, and always got up, put on her makeup, and kept it on until bedtime.
When I made a visit to see Mary Alice four years ago, she shared family stories and once she started talking the
memories started flowing. She told of her families travels moving from Louisiana to Texas. Of going to different schools when they left Louisiana. She told of the hardships and the good times they had growing up. She spoke of her father with such love and compassion, and talked about how much she misses him even today.
I will cherish forever those memories of Aunt Irma and the
visits that she made to Louisiana to see our family. Her daughter Mary
Alice and I continue to correspond and those calls that she makes to me are
calls of healing for her. She tells me that I am the only family she has left.
She is eighty-four years old and loves to tell me family stories and I cherish
those stories. ■
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