Arlene Clara Slotemaker Barry Ernster---April 20, 1929 - September 9, 2023

Sad news.

The matriarch of the Slotemaker - Jones clan passed away Saturday after a brief hospital stay.

Aunt Arlene was my Dad's big sister. That is Dad and Aunt Arlene you see above, at Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary Party, on August 11, 2001. Mom and Dad's actual anniversary date was August 6, but for some reason, on more than one occasion, their anniversary party took place on my birthday.

Well, the reason is actually no mystery, if August 6 fell on a weekday, the next weekend was when the anniversary party took place. I recollect that only happening twice.

Aunt Arlene was a school teacher. High school. An English teacher, I think, for the most part. At Snohomish High School and Sultan High School. And maybe some other schools I am not remembering.

Aunt Arlene got her teaching degree from Western Washington University, where she was on the school newspaper, and at one point in time got to interview Eleanor Roosevelt.

Aunt Arlene had flawless cursive handwriting.

In the Slotemaker - Jones clan it is an odd fact that the oldest in each family group is left-handed. Which made Aunt Arlene left-handed, as am I.

I treasured getting letters from Aunt Arlene. Along with news clippings.

In the past year Aunt Arlene subscribed me to the Hightower Lowdown. Along with the majority of Americans, Aunt Arlene was appalled at the Trump embarrassment.

Aunt Arlene was a bit surprised that I can tolerate living in Texas, after having spent the majority of my life living in one of the nation's more progressive states, to now be living in a state which no one would accuse of being progressive.

Just recently, well, a month or so ago, Aunt Arlene had Cousin Linda, her daughter, Facebook message me asking how I was handling the heat. Apparently, the news was making the Texas heat seem real HOT. 

The news of Aunt Arlene passing hit me hard today. All my siblings have always had Aunt Arlene on a pedestal. She was so smart, funny, easy to talk to. And so kind and loveable.

When I got a text message last month, or was it the month before that, time flies so fast, with that text message, from sister Jackie, telling me she was now a Granny. I reacted to that news in a way which surprised me, as in I suddenly felt real happy. The news about Aunt Arlene also struck me in a way which surprised me, but it was the opposite of real happy.

The older I get the more it seems that time is fleeting, quickly melting away...