My Aunt Adelaide Lewis Walker was only twelve years older than I. She was my first idol. It was really nice to have a really young Aunt. Addie was a teenager when I was very small. When Judy Garland came out in The Wizard of Oz. I bragged to my friend's that my aunt looked just like Judy Garland.
She handed down her dolls that she out grew, and costume jewelry that she no longer wanted as well as clothes, that made me feel so grown up. My friends and I played dress up in her old formals. We felt like princesses going to the ball. We spun tails of the parties we'd go to and the dates that we would have. They were food for our imagination.
I thought she was so beautiful. I watched as she bloomed and dated awed by her experiences. Tales of the midshipmen that she dated and later the doctors that wooed her. I remember about 10 pm one summer night, she brought her future husband by our house. Dad brought out the charcoal grill and we roasted hot dogs late at night. I was about 12 years old and thought that Dr. Bill Walker was so handsome.
When Adelaide was married, she included me in the wedding as a junior bridesmaid. We had the reception at our house, as my Lewis grandparents were not well. We pick the fall blooming camellias in pink and white and decorated the house. We made little tea sandwiches and had two kinds of punch. There was the Methodist punch for the children and people who did not drink. My Uncle Hubert's wife, Aunt Mary Sykes, did not drink, nor did she believe in drinking alcohol. My grandmother Porter, my Nana, was directing people to the punch, and made a mistake by directing Aunt Mary to the alcoholic punch. She had the best time at the wedding, and a week later called Mother up for the recipe. Mother gave her the one for the non alcoholic punch. She called Mother back and said that she must have left something out as the punch was not as good as the one she had at the wedding. We never told her about the extra ingredient.
Adelaide was a beautiful bride. Looking as lovely as Elizabeth Taylor. Bill was handsome in his Naval uniform. I was enchanted. They spent the first night of their honeymoon in Virginia Beach. Then they headed to Louisiana . They were stationed there when Linda was born. The next time I saw Adelaide, Linda was a baby. Grand Dad Lewis was living with us and he thought that Linda was wonderful.
Adelaide was always there with good advise. They moved around with the Navy. After Louisiana they went to New Jersey. Ginny was added to the family and we heard the tales of the baby sitter who everyone wanted to hire because the babies were so good. It ended up that the baby sitter was putting a little bourbon in babies bottles. Well that did it for that baby sitter. She was found out. Fortunately all the babies were all OK.
After New Jersey, they were transferred to Portsmouth Naval Base. It was here that Julie was born.. I ended up baby sitting for Adelaide and Bill when she was 3 days old. Thank goodness they were at a neighbors, because I was just a little intimidated by that small a baby. I both loved and admired my Aunt Adelaide and her wonderful family.
Now she has gone home to join her parents and brothers in Heaven. We all loved you well.
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