"Sissy," as we nieces called her, was born and raised in Akron, OH where she also lived out her life. She was fortunate to have survived the flu pandemic of 1918, but her mother did not. Aunt Sissy was raised by my grandfather and his second wife, who also happened to be her maternal aunt. Sissy was an extremely intelligent and strong-willed woman who lived through a horrendous tragedy early in her life.
In 1938, she was burned horribly in a car accident when a truck ran into a car in which she was a passenger. The car caught fire, and she was knocked unconscious. The accident took place in Michigan where she had traveled with a friend from Akron, so she was far from home. My grandfather received a telegram about the accident and was told she was not expected to survive. He drove to Michigan to retrieve her, expecting he would be bringing her back in a coffin. Miraculously, she survived, and was transported back to Akron alive.
She had been burned over a vast percentage of her body, especially the upper body. She lost all her hair, eyebrows, and one eye. She would have to wear a wig for the rest of her life and was legally blind, preventing her from being able to drive.
She spent almost a year in Peoples Hospital in Akron where they performed skin grafts and blood transfusions. The latter was still so uncommon in Akron at the time that when she received her first transfusion, it was covered by the Akron Beacon Journal who even mentioned the donor's name and showed her picture.
Aunt Sissy never married, but lived independently in Akron in apartments taking advantage of the bus system for transportation. She was able to support herself working full time as a switchboard operator and spent many years working at the Akron City Hospital School of Nursing. She otherwise kept herself busy working crossword puzzles and playing cards and Scrabble with friends. Siamese cats were her first choice for roommates. She was also a frequent visitor to her sister's home in Wadsworth, where she was much loved by her nieces and played many games of cards. In one of my proudest "coming of age" moments, I remember vividly when she said to me, "I think you're ready to learn pinochle now." I had graduated from rummy to pinochle. :)
As one of her nieces, only now do I really appreciate all that she taught me about being strong, independent, and controlling your own destiny. Aunt Sissy lived to be almost 86 years old, and her ashes are inurned in Mount Peace Cemetery in Akron by her mother who died in 1918.
In 1938, she was burned horribly in a car accident when a truck ran into a car in which she was a passenger. The car caught fire, and she was knocked unconscious. The accident took place in Michigan where she had traveled with a friend from Akron, so she was far from home. My grandfather received a telegram about the accident and was told she was not expected to survive. He drove to Michigan to retrieve her, expecting he would be bringing her back in a coffin. Miraculously, she survived, and was transported back to Akron alive.
She had been burned over a vast percentage of her body, especially the upper body. She lost all her hair, eyebrows, and one eye. She would have to wear a wig for the rest of her life and was legally blind, preventing her from being able to drive.
She spent almost a year in Peoples Hospital in Akron where they performed skin grafts and blood transfusions. The latter was still so uncommon in Akron at the time that when she received her first transfusion, it was covered by the Akron Beacon Journal who even mentioned the donor's name and showed her picture.
Aunt Sissy never married, but lived independently in Akron in apartments taking advantage of the bus system for transportation. She was able to support herself working full time as a switchboard operator and spent many years working at the Akron City Hospital School of Nursing. She otherwise kept herself busy working crossword puzzles and playing cards and Scrabble with friends. Siamese cats were her first choice for roommates. She was also a frequent visitor to her sister's home in Wadsworth, where she was much loved by her nieces and played many games of cards. In one of my proudest "coming of age" moments, I remember vividly when she said to me, "I think you're ready to learn pinochle now." I had graduated from rummy to pinochle. :)
As one of her nieces, only now do I really appreciate all that she taught me about being strong, independent, and controlling your own destiny. Aunt Sissy lived to be almost 86 years old, and her ashes are inurned in Mount Peace Cemetery in Akron by her mother who died in 1918.
"Sissy," as we nieces called her, was born and raised in Akron, OH where she also lived out her life. She was fortunate to have survived the flu pandemic of 1918, but her mother did not. Aunt Sissy was raised by my grandfather and his second wife, who also happened to be her maternal aunt. Sissy was an extremely intelligent and strong-willed woman who lived through a horrendous tragedy early in her life.
In 1938, she was burned horribly in a car accident when a truck ran into a car in which she was a passenger. The car caught fire, and she was knocked unconscious. The accident took place in Michigan where she had traveled with a friend from Akron, so she was far from home. My grandfather received a telegram about the accident and was told she was not expected to survive. He drove to Michigan to retrieve her, expecting he would be bringing her back in a coffin. Miraculously, she survived, and was transported back to Akron alive.
She had been burned over a vast percentage of her body, especially the upper body. She lost all her hair, eyebrows, and one eye. She would have to wear a wig for the rest of her life and was legally blind, preventing her from being able to drive.
She spent almost a year in Peoples Hospital in Akron where they performed skin grafts and blood transfusions. The latter was still so uncommon in Akron at the time that when she received her first transfusion, it was covered by the Akron Beacon Journal who even mentioned the donor's name and showed her picture.
Aunt Sissy never married, but lived independently in Akron in apartments taking advantage of the bus system for transportation. She was able to support herself working full time as a switchboard operator and spent many years working at the Akron City Hospital School of Nursing. She otherwise kept herself busy working crossword puzzles and playing cards and Scrabble with friends. Siamese cats were her first choice for roommates. She was also a frequent visitor to her sister's home in Wadsworth, where she was much loved by her nieces and played many games of cards. In one of my proudest "coming of age" moments, I remember vividly when she said to me, "I think you're ready to learn pinochle now." I had graduated from rummy to pinochle. :)
As one of her nieces, only now do I really appreciate all that she taught me about being strong, independent, and controlling your own destiny. Aunt Sissy lived to be almost 86 years old, and her ashes are inurned in Mount Peace Cemetery in Akron by her mother who died in 1918.
In 1938, she was burned horribly in a car accident when a truck ran into a car in which she was a passenger. The car caught fire, and she was knocked unconscious. The accident took place in Michigan where she had traveled with a friend from Akron, so she was far from home. My grandfather received a telegram about the accident and was told she was not expected to survive. He drove to Michigan to retrieve her, expecting he would be bringing her back in a coffin. Miraculously, she survived, and was transported back to Akron alive.
She had been burned over a vast percentage of her body, especially the upper body. She lost all her hair, eyebrows, and one eye. She would have to wear a wig for the rest of her life and was legally blind, preventing her from being able to drive.
She spent almost a year in Peoples Hospital in Akron where they performed skin grafts and blood transfusions. The latter was still so uncommon in Akron at the time that when she received her first transfusion, it was covered by the Akron Beacon Journal who even mentioned the donor's name and showed her picture.
Aunt Sissy never married, but lived independently in Akron in apartments taking advantage of the bus system for transportation. She was able to support herself working full time as a switchboard operator and spent many years working at the Akron City Hospital School of Nursing. She otherwise kept herself busy working crossword puzzles and playing cards and Scrabble with friends. Siamese cats were her first choice for roommates. She was also a frequent visitor to her sister's home in Wadsworth, where she was much loved by her nieces and played many games of cards. In one of my proudest "coming of age" moments, I remember vividly when she said to me, "I think you're ready to learn pinochle now." I had graduated from rummy to pinochle. :)
As one of her nieces, only now do I really appreciate all that she taught me about being strong, independent, and controlling your own destiny. Aunt Sissy lived to be almost 86 years old, and her ashes are inurned in Mount Peace Cemetery in Akron by her mother who died in 1918.
