Today my Aunt, Edna Grace Robinson, died after a battle with several illnesses.  At the time of her death she was under the care of a hospice program.  During my formative years Edna was always a person I could turn to for affirmation, support and even protection.  She did not have an easy life in that she faced many struggles most of us would want to avoid.  She raised her children as a single mother following her divorce.  In addition to working her job in town she tended to the livestock she raised before going to work in morning and coming home from work in the afternoon.

She was auditor of the bank where she worked when the FDIC closed the bank due to underperforming agricultural loans and depositors were issued checks for the insured amounts of their deposits.  Her accounting was so precise the FDIC hired her to work for them during the transition and collecting the outstanding loans.  All of this took place several years before she had planned to retire.  She did not seek employment following that chapter in her life.

She lived her whole life in Monroe County, Iowa where her funeral will be held.  I won’t be blogging until Monday because of my attending her services.  I was hesitant to make the long trip from Maryland to Iowa.  Her services fell on a weekend where I had several significant commitments.  I was able to find direct flights from Washington DC National Airport that will allow me to attend the funeral and keep all my scheduled events.  My making this flight to her services is just one sign of the degree to which I love her and value her in my life.  Future trips to Iowa will not be same with her not being alive any more.