RIP Scary Aunt Jean

My cousin called me last night to tell me our Aunt Jean had passed on. She was our grandmother's older sister, the second child in a family of 9 children. Our grandmother, you may recall, died last year. I don't know how old Aunt Jean was. We called her "Scary" because there was another Aunt Jean on Papa's side, but she was nice.

It is important to remember that all the women on my mother's side of the family are loud, opinionated and strong. Aunt Jean was the absolute epitome of everything that I think of when I think of McF women. She never hesitated to speak her mind. She expected you to do the same. She didn't ever back down. She never apologised. Well, she was never wrong. :-) She respected people who wouldn't take her shit. Frankly, I'm always a bit surprised when one of them dies. You may not like them, but you can't deny they are alive.

So, this means that of the 9, only Auntie Dorothy remains. This is sad, because when she's gone, the "top rung" changes too.

Sister.....Jean.....Nana.....Brother.....Brother.....Sister.....Sister.....Brother
.....Dorothy (I think)

Under Nana: Uncle.....Uncle......My mother There are other cousins on this row. I'm not naming them all.

Next row: Cousin (M), Cousin (F)*, Cousin (M).....Cousin (M), Cousin (M), Cousin (M).....Me, Sister, Sister

Next row: X.....X.....Son, Daughter, Daughter.....X.....Son, Son....Son, Daughter.....DD, DS..... X.....X

*This is the cousin I speak to most often and the one who called me last night. She's quite a whiz with Microsoft Office and once attempted to to an organisation chart of our family on both sides. Nana married a man from a family of 14. The chart is HUGE, even with a couple of the great-aunts/uncles not having children.

OK, I just tried to do a chart so you could see it better and I can't figure out how to get it here. It wouldn't fit and be legible anyway.

*****

A member of the family becomes family history.

Rest in Peace, Scary Aunt Jean.