Aunt Cloie

My sweet Great-Aunt Cloie (age 90) passed away a couple weeks ago.  It was probably the most I've ever cried at a funeral.  It was a mixture of me getting older, more hormonal, and the sweetness of the service.  It was a family only graveside and her son, cousin Di, and her grandgirls spoke.  It was just the sweetest service.  Even then lady who worked for the funeral home came up and said she had never been to a nicer graveside service.  We will miss Aunt Cloie so much!

Charlie (her son) talked about how her death was the final chapter to the original Dumas family. She was the youngest of the family (my grandmother's sister) and she was the glue that held everyone together.  She made sure everyone was remembered, that everyone got together, and had a nickname for everyone.

She always made me feel special!  She even saved the bits of confetti I used to send in all my cards! How fun!  So, in honor of her I added confetti back to my Christmas cards this year!

Look at that little dish with confetti!

I still remember the little sombrero confetti I sent in my graduation party invites to Cactus Jack's!  I also remember that candy cane confetti from years ago, too!

After the funeral we all headed to the lake where Kathy setup some food and beverages.  Of course, there was a fire going in the fireplace...Aunt Cloie always had a fire going even if it was 80 degrees outside!  We were all laughing because none of us have 1st cousins on the Dumas side.  And we all only had 1-2 cousins total on our other side of the family.  Such a difference from the generation before us who has numerous 1st cousins!

me, Jenna & Katie (Aunt Cloie's grandgirls), and Abbie (Aunt Ethelyn's granddaughter)

The cousins minus Don!  Denny, Dad, Deebe, Susan, Charlie, and Dianne

The whole group!  Harold (in the center) was Aunt Cloie's "honeyboy" as she called him for the past 10 years.

We looked through some of her old albums and found some cool stuff!  Uncle Floyd was the commander of the 8th Air Force when it was located in Guam.  Aunt Cloie and Uncle Floyd hosted Queen Elizabeth!!

Uncle Floyd and Aunt Cloie are to the far right

Aunt Cloie with Queen Elizabeth!

I went through some old pictures and found these gems of that sweet lady!

SK meeting Aunt Cloie for the first time! (2014)

One of our many visits a the lake! (2012)

One of our crawfish boils!

Bennett's baptism (2009)

Fall get together in 2014 at Dianne's

My ladies tea party bridal shower that Aunt Cloie came to and declared "a labor of love!"  We still talk about that to this day!  I am wearing the pearls in this picture that Aunt Cloie gave me that were my grandmother's. (2007)

My Mexican fiesta graduation where came all the way to Ruston and gave me my grandmother's pearls (2004)!

Some of our favorite memories that were mentioned were:

• 4th of July family reunions at the lake
• her nicknames for everyone (my dad=Bill-gy)
• her feeding the raccoons in her backyard
• every person saying that she made them feel special in some way
• the cards she sent and the pictures she drew in them
• honking all the way down Lakewood with her standing on the porch waving until you couldn't see her
• She hosted a high school graduation lunch for me at Dominic's