Uncle Glen's second wife was from a prominent Randolph (NE) family, very sweetly genteel, kind, sentimental. I would call her manner gushing but not in a negative sense, simply the way her goodness poured out of her. She embodied niceness. A devout Roman Catholic, she was the sort no one can envision having an enemy, a very gracious, proper hostess, socially involved, a soft foil for Uncle Glen's argumentative chin jutting forth. One didn't even dream of swearing around her or behaving badly. One might feel smothered in her mothering arms, but it was not unpleasant or cloying, just that sweetness sweeping one up. And she was pretty. She collected salt-and-pepper shakers and had hundreds in various china closets, on shelves, the largest collection of them I've ever seen, the variety fascinating a little boy. Aunt Paula was born 19 September 1921 and died 20 August 1969 while I was in Europe.
She was, however, unable to conceive; so, while she had motherless Darrell to rear, they also adopted a little redhead they named Patricia. I think adoption was rather rare then, but this was all well before my time. Patricia's dates from Mom's records are her marriage to Thomas Guilfoyle 5 May 1951, her death 2 March 1986.
Darrell and his new carrot-top sister.
I suspect this might be Pat's senior photo. It's certainly how I remember her. Imagine the hair very orange-red. She was like her mother, Paula. She moved to the East with her husband, first a wealthy suburb and then New York City itself, where she had several children and developed Parkinson's disease, I think, which crippled her before it killed her. Some fatal illness without a cure. I know her last years were in a wheelchair and the children posted the letters. We got regular Christmas family photos from the Guilfoyles, ended by her death. If I run across any, I will post it. The last address for them in Mom's address book is for an apartment on Fifth Avenue, New York City and one for her son, Bill, also in NYC.
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