Born, Ethel Louise Alexander, the fourth girl of four girls, and two boys.
She would prefer that you call her Aynt-E-thel (long E). We just affectionately call her Aynt-Ethel. To say it properly you had to say it as one word, with the t in Aynt being silent.
Growing up, she was called "baby" by her sisters and brothers because she was the baby sister. Aynt-Ethel spoke with a proper southern accent.
I have very fond memories of her.
She was now married to Charles Adams a very sweet and warm gentleman she met in her church.
"Put your coats in my bedroom on the bed".
We were having either a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner in home, which we would do every year.
Aynt-Ethel was filled with southern grace, charm, and hospitality. When she saw my brother and I, she would with the biggest smile say, “well," how are you, as she spoke in a high pitched falsetto voice? She and "Brother Adams" as she so affectionately called him, would have soft music playing in the background. They were just two lovebirds in their middle age. The whole day was filled with good conversation and good soul food. Like at many of the Alexander functions they would get into the family stories....
For example,
One day, my mother (Fredna), as a small child was swinging back and forth on an old large wooden gate. The girls couldn't have been more than five and six years old. The old heavy gate came off of the hinges and fell on Fredna. Fredna said calmly in a low voice, get this gate up off of me. Usually everyone would start laughing at the way Fredna said it. They often marveled that Aynt-Ethel very small in stature, and very young in age, picked the heavy gate up off of Fredna.
There would be many stories about the sisters and brothers throughout the day. Being there gave us all a great sense of family.
Throughout the years with many ups and downs, Aynt-Ethel often kept a smile on her face and a prayer in her mouth.
Our lives would be so much different if she had not been there.
We are blessed for having
Aynt Ethel in our lives.
She's quite the bee's knees.
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