On August 27, 2008 Auntie Winnie Connor will be turning 100 years old. The oldest girl, the second oldest child of Paddy and Mary Ellen Connor from Leeds England - and who is the last living child out of the 16 is an amazing person.
I am convinced the reason why Auntie Winnie is so healthy at nearly 100 years old, is that Auntie Winnie has never suffered from the same issues our grandparents/parents suffered from (cancer, strokes, etc.) I believe all of this is because she didn't have all that additional stress from having been married and having children. And while she would have been an amazing mom we all love her deeply!
This is a woman who is a whopping 4'7" tall, was beat to hell like the rest of the kids by her drunk Irish father, and who had to stand on a step stool at Barmbeau during WWII as she helped the Allies build munitions.
Auntie Winnie is everyone's "mother, sister, grandmother and aunt" all rolled into one. She has been special to each and every one of us and therefor, I would like to have all of us collectively do something special for her 100th birthday. I would like us to build a scrapbook for her. One with all of our photos, and a page of our favorite memories with Auntie Winnie.
Memories could have been like when all the of Connor's traveled to Ireland and as a kid Edward, Kenneth Keeley where hell on wheels! During this trip Edward and Kenneth stood on each other's shoulders in the lake, 6 feet deep and told Auntie Winnie to come out that it was shallow and she would only go as deep as her ankles (Auntie Winnie can't swim, but loves the water), so out she goes and....... whoooooooooooooooosh, down goes Auntie Winnie! Mom said she thought Auntie Betty was going to tear Edward and Kenneth apart right there and then - and then leave them in Ireland by themselves!
I will add everyone's letters here, unless asked not to - so that the entire family can share. I am also looking for photos - preferably ones you email to me - of yourself, your children, grandchildren and your parents - with or without Auntie Winnie in it, doesn't matter. Just something that I can print out and place in the book. Emailing them to me is better, because then I can print them all from Kodak directly.
Well family - that's it for today - I will be sending you all a letter soon with this information to really kick this off.
Love,
Annemarie
