A Hallett (Minier) Generation Now Gone
As a family, we all knew it was coming. But that alone doesn't diminish the sadness.
Recently, Mom called to let me know that my great aunt, my Dad’s aunt, passed away at age 103. Imy (Imogene) Minier Williams was one of the people in this world, just by being in her presence, who would make you smile. Her laugh was infectious. Her smile was divine.
Some might wonder why a great aunt would be worth a commentary, considering such a distant relationship.
The first reason is that she was the final member of my grandparents generation, all their brothers and sisters, both sides of my family, to pass away. If you think about people born sometime right after the turn of the century, in the first 20 years of the 1900s, it is amazing to consider all that they witnessed. Growing up in Nebraska, the early parts of the generation wouldn't have even been exposed to cars, depending on their birth date. They lived through two world wars, a depression, putting a man on the moon, computers becoming part of our everyday life and now artificial intelligence. They were also the “tie” to the generations before. And in my case, that included direct story knowledge, a firsthand account, from my great-grandparents telling their children (my grandparents) of the train taking Abraham Lincoln to his burial site in Illinois.
But this was also more personal. When my father was born, my grandfather had gone off to war. To serve his country in the South Pacific. He was gone for almost four years. My grandmother, with her little bundle that was my father, lived in a rented apartment above a garage in Lincoln NE. And with them lived Imy. Imy was just a college student, trying to get herself through the University. But for my father, Imy was an incredibly welcome presence in his life. And for the first four years, Imy actively helped raise him. The stories of my grandmother and Imy during that time, with “little Johnny” were legendary. One included burning a hole in the carpet, and upon moving out, just moving a plant to cover it. And there were many stories of the two of them being too “loud” for the “not so friendly” landlord living in the house. All of the stories, including my fathers earliest memories, were always of laughter and joy during a very trying time in American history.
And even when my grandfather came home from war, Imy was always a part of my father’s life. My dad loved her deeply. And while I did not have the same level of interaction, she and my grandmother could have been twin sisters by their looks, even though they were born years apart. So, every time I saw her, I saw the splitting image of my grandmother….and it made me smile.
It's hard to say goodbye. With Dad's death last year, there have been many moments that have brought his life back to the forefront of my emotional sights. This is one of those moving flashes, both joyful and sad. In part because our world is a little bit lesser without Imy Williams. Also, because my life isn’t the same without Dad.
