Aunt Ila Bjornton

 

The news came today that my Aunt Ila had died. 

I had not heard from her at Christmas, I was wondering.  The news is that she had had a minor surgery,  was waiting to go home from rehab,  and suffered a massive heart attack. She was married to my Mom's brother.

The last time I saw her was about a year and a half ago at her 100th birthday party.  She was going strong then. We had a very nice visit that day. 

A small service will be held,  Glenn & Kathy will go.  I will not due to Covid concern.

Some random thoughts about Aunt Ila.

My aunt Ila passed away in January.  She was 91.  Ila was married to my Mom's brother Elwood.  Woody and Ila lived in Bloomington all their lives.  He was the first person I knew that went golfing on most weekends.  They both had good jobs and a nice new home.  I think my Mom was jealous of Ila living in those nice conditions which was especially hard for Mom to swallow because our house on N was such an old, and rustic house.  I remember Mom always dressed us in our best clothes if we were going to their house.  I was never very close to Woody & Ila, they were  quite critical of me that I went with Dad during the divorce and that widened the gap even more.  They did come through Denver a few times over the years and we would try to get together for a meal.  Woody died shortly after I moved here so I was at the funeral.  I attended Ila's 90th birthday party in the summer of 2019 and she acted so pleased to see me that I was very glad that I went. I did not go to her funeral due to Covid concerns, Glenn & Kathy did go, they are less cautious than I am.  As a kid I thought I was such good pals with her kids, my first cousins, but it did not carry through to adulthood, the only contact that I have with those first cousins is when there is a funeral.  So now, there is only my Aunt Jeanne, Mom's sister, left of that generation of the Bjornton family.