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Discussion » Questions » Family » Topic: aunts and uncles. When you were growing up, were you surrounded by your parents’ siblings?
Randy D

Topic: aunts and uncles. When you were growing up, were you surrounded by your parents’ siblings?

 

  My mother has only one sibling, her younger sister. Aunt Nita* lived not far from us and we spent a lot of time with our cousins until they moved to Texas when I was about 12 years old. They came back a few years later, and had funny accents that we couldn’t understand. Aunt Nita and my mother had similar lifestyles in that they had a string of children by different fathers: my mother was pregnant six times but only five of us lived. Aunt Nita has six children.
  I have never known my biological father. From age 4 to 14, I had a stepfather, he was the youngest of 8 children, but had been born and raised on the East Coast, his entire family was still there and we only met one of his brothers. When I was about 10 or 11, my stepfather’s brother was in the Air Force and was transferred from overseas to a base located about an hour and a half from where we lived. He had a Thai wife and 6-year-old stepdaughter. We never spent very much time with them.
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Posted - December 1, 2020
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Responses


  • 44275
    No. I only saw them individually infrequently except an aunt in Florida for two years as youngster. My mom sent me and a sister there after my father disappeared. I also stayed with another aunt in Florida for a month after I graduated HS. I got to see Apollo 11 launch.
      December 1, 2020 11:32 AM MST
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  • 10479
    You might say that.  Dad had a large family.  Most lived closeby, but 2 aunts lived down in the "big city".  One of those aunts and her family were always up visiting (her mom lived here, but they spent most of the time at our house).  Whenever we went to the "big city" to shop (or should I say, for my parent so look at all the things they would like to have if their ship ever came in), we'd stop by that same aunt's house for several hours (they had a color TV).  Each summer we did a "kid exchange" with that aunt.  One of us would spend 1-2 weeks down here, while 1 of her her kids spent the same time with my parents.
    Except for one uncle (who, sadly, we rarely saw), the rest of dad's "clan" lived in the local area as well.  However, because they all smoked and drank, we weren't encouraged to see them.
      December 1, 2020 1:26 PM MST
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  • 52971

     

    Thank you!  One clarification, please:

    One of those aunts and her family were always up visiting (her mom lived here, but they spent most of the time at our house). 

    Her mom was your father’s mother and your grandmother, correct?
    ~

      December 1, 2020 1:31 PM MST
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  • 10479
    I believe so.  (although the history of that side of the family is a bit "complicated")
      December 1, 2020 2:04 PM MST
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  • 52971

     

      Wait, surely you don’t mean . . .


    ~

      December 1, 2020 3:50 PM MST
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  • 10479
    Let's just say that grandma got "frequent widow miles".
      December 1, 2020 5:01 PM MST
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  • 19942
    My mom had only one sister whom we all loved the best.  She was a fantastic cook and always made enough for an army.  We didn't see her and her four daughters as much as we would have liked because my dad and her husband (my uncle) didn't get along well.  My dad had a brother and two sisters.  They lived nearer to us and we were at grandma's house almost every Sunday so we saw a lot of them along with my three cousins.  None of us are very close now although one of my cousins on my dad's side and I are only a year apart in age, so we email more often.  
      December 1, 2020 2:29 PM MST
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  • 32790
    Yes. I had 10 biological Aunts and Uncles who all lived in the same small town as my parents. I also had one step Aunt who lived in town.  
    All of them had at least 1 child most had 3 or more.  

    I had about first 30 cousins who lived in my town. I also knew about 10 of my distant cousins as well in town. (Grandma's sister's grandkids)

    Yes. Most of us were within 5yrs age difference. And we would go to Grandma's house most weekends. 
    I remember a friend asking me "If there was anyone I was not related to?"  I answered "You."
      December 1, 2020 5:56 PM MST
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  • 52971

     

      Lol!
    ~

      December 1, 2020 7:54 PM MST
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