Audrey's Youngest Child

Today is my Aunt Shirley's birthday. She would have been 86 years old, but she passed away in October of 2018. She'd been ill for quite a while. This blog, Audrey's Ambition, is a tribute to Shirley's mother (my grandmother) and wouldn't exist except for Shirley's generosity.

Shirley saved up Audrey's stories for years, planning to include them in a book she'd write about her mom. In a 2013 phone conversation, she expressed sadness that she no longer believed her book project would become a reality. She said the thought of all that work had become overwhelming. That's when the idea of publishing Audrey's works in blog form came into existence. Shirley signed on to the project immediately. She photocopied Audrey's stories and snail-mailed them to me. She sent bundles of copied family photos. She enlisted the help of her older sister, Nina, and Nina's daughter, Sandra, and they contributed their own photos, documents, and memories of Audrey.

Shirley and I spoke often in the early days of Audrey's Ambition. She told me she thought Audrey's favorite color might have been red, and she talked about all the quilts Audrey made in the course of her lifetime. Those facts influenced the selection of a background for this blog. Once the blog was up and running, Shirley seemed proud of it. Indeed, she should have been. It wouldn't have existed without her. She was also proud of her late husband, Ray, and the six children they reared together.

Sometimes Shirley would call to tell me something we'd discussed in detail only a day or two before. She sounded clear and authoritative.  If it hadn't been for the repetitions, I'd have had no clue that her short-term memory was beginning to slip. I'm so thankful that she shared her time, effort, and resources before she became disabled.

Shirley was only ten years old when I was born, and I remember her clearly from childhood visits to my paternal grandparents' home. I'd lost touch with her after moving with Mother to Texas in 1957,  but we reconnected at a family reunion in Springfield in 1996, and we stayed in contact after that.

I should also mention that in all the years we were not in communication, Shirley was never far from my mind. Every time I looked at my older daughter, I saw Shirley's eyes.

Shirley Barclay Rust - July 1996