My Mom's Sister at 101!

My mother came from a family of 12. The Engberg's of Crosby North Dakota. My mom passed away August 25, 2008. Now there are two from the Family left. They are my Uncle Ken at 90 and My aunt Ann at 101!



My aunt is affectionately known to a lot of us Nieces and nephews as Annie-Bear. When I was very little, my mom was reading me the story of the three bears in my Aunt Ann's apartment in Minot. As she went down the list of the Pappa Bear then the Mama Bear and then the baby Bear, I piped up and don't forget the Annie-Bear! The name stuck and she then called me Dody-Bear. I love to think about how Nick Names come about.



My aunt has been in a hospital (note the correct use of the noun Hospital, not in Hospital but in A hospital) for last several weeks. She has cancer in several places, had a bleeding Kidney and some arthritis. At THE hospital (we are not England) she was treated and go the bleeding under control. I have been talking to here every day for the past ten days or so. It was great since I could not be there to just let this Great Lady of 101 that I was thinking of her.



Then the fluid started to build up, she was in therapy and she sounded like her old self, which is to say at about 60 years of age. Very strong voice and a memory for all things sharp as a tack. Yesterday she was retaining more fluid and she suddenly started to sound like 101. It was her birthday yesterday and I talked to her twice. The last time was last night and she did not retain much of the special Aunt I spent so much time with in my life. This morning she was taken into intensive care and now has a blood clot in her lung. They are treating her but if it lets loose, its pretty much all over.



All this is swirling in my mind and got me to think about my Mother, my Dad my uncles and aunts all gone now and the finality of life is staring me in my face. We live every day like there is always a tomorrow, but there is not guarantee in life or for life.



Ann was in every way a true Women's Liberator. I don't mean the wanna be fem-i-Nazis of today. I mean one who did not picket but did the deed! After High School she took a summer Teaching program and then went taught in a country school and She also was a tutor to a child who lived on a remote ranch in Montana for two years.  Ann worked in a bank in Minot until she decided she was not learning enough and moved to Rugby where she worked in a bank for four years and became a Bank cashier.  Ann then went to work for the U S Employment service and eventually worked as a recruiter for the Merchant Marines.  After World war II she took over the Bus depot lunch counter in Minot. I think this was about 1946. At this time she became a gun collector as well as user. She was the only woman at the Minot gun club and shot in competitions. I never saw this but understand she was a good shot. Next she bought the Langseth's cafe in Minot. A place I would spend lot of time in my younger days! Great food, and I mean Great! She used to make the morning pancakes on a griddle in the front window and you stand out side and watch or come in a eat! Next in the mid 1950's she bought the Grand Cafe housed in the Grand Hotel across the street from the Langseth's. This was a medium sized hotel build in the early 1930's. Next she bought the Pioneer Bar and Lounge next door. She ran these three businesses for many years until the Grand hotel burned down in 1961 and in 1963 she lost her lease on the Langseth's and soon started another phase of her life. Back teaching and this time for my Dad in the Manpower Development Training Program in Devils Lake at the Lake region Junior College. Next she went to Whapeton State School of Science where she developed a curriculum for teaching cooking for a program that was never implemented. From there she went to Staples Minnesota and taught and ran a culinary program. One of her students actually ended up cooking at the White House. She had to retire at about 65 due to Minnesota's rules. Not done, over the last 45 years she ran a Kiosk in a Mall in Wichita Kansas, did debt collection, and had two Ice Cream stores in Des Moines Iowa up until that city was flooded a few years ago. Then a botched operation to remove a cataract left her legally blind. At the age of 95 she was the oldest active member of the Lions Clubs in South Dakota and went to many fund raisers to help raise money for the blind. All during this time she became an avid knitter and crocheter of and got into Norwegian Hardanger needle point. Just a couple years ago, as she approached 100 she made and gave out great colorful knitted afghans.



That plus a lot more was done in span of 100 years. She never married although she was ready to get engaged when her Beau got meningitis and died. She doted on all us nieces and nephews. She was like a second mother to me as we lived in Minot, stayed at her apartment, when I was little. Plus we lived just 20 miles away in Carpio and i saw her every week and even got to stay over night and what a treat that was. Then she lived in Devils Lake while I lived there. When she was teaching in Staples Minnesota I was in Wadena about 18 miles away and saw her a lot.



I remember being away from home for the first time and yet she was someone I knew right there. I would go over on a Friday Night and she would play the baby grand piano and we would sing all these old songs, pick up KFC and have a party. She listened to me on the Radio and offered suggestion for pronunciation and usage of grammar. She would take me out to great Restaurants to try some great delicacy or visit a friends kitchen. While she was living in Devils Lake sometimes she would call up and see If I could join her for dinner..... In Carrington at the Chieftain.



Today she is in intensive car and I hope for her all the best, knowing too that every road has a journey and every journey has an end. She was far from a perfect person just like all the rest of us and even drove us crazy sometimes but she had a big heart and in the end that is what really counts!



God Bless my Mothers Sister! May God's everlasting grace and peace be with you today and all the days God allows you before he calls your name and takes you home to him..

An Addendum: Ann Henrietta Engberg went to be with the Lord on June 1, 2010 at 8:05 pm CST.