“You’re
losing your family,” a friend sadly noted.
Yes,
it’s true. My sister Joni’s husband, Pat Nunan, passed away on Saturday,
March 18, just four months after sister Harriet's unexpected passing, It’s hard to face the fact that those I remember as
young adults – getting married, establishing careers, having families, etc. –
are now passing from this life. In a way, we can't complain. We had them with us a lifetime.
As
we laid our Grandfather Portfors (Papa) to rest in December, 1971, it was Pat who
remarked, “Everyone shifts up a generation now.” I have often thought of that.
At 96, Papa was the last of our grandparents to leave, and with his passing my
parents became the official elders of our family.
 |
| Pat -- quirky sense of humor |
I
thought Pat’s obituary said it so well: “His family remembers him best for his
consistently sage advice, his quirky sense of humor and his calm, dependable
support in any situation.” I don’t think I could summarize my memories of Pat
any better than that.
 |
| Joni -- cute girl with a beautiful smile |
The obit also observed that Pat married "a cute girl with a beautiful smile," Farrol Joan 'Joni' Walrath. It
was June 11, 1956, and marriage happened for Joni and Pat just
the way it was supposed to in that era. They both finished their educations, graduating
from the University of Idaho and leaving campus to get married a week or so
later. They found an apartment on the second floor of an old house in Moscow.
Soon after, Pat began his banking career at First Security Bank and Joni taught
school in Potlatch.
In my memories, registered when I was six, I see a lot of young adults, who are now our elders and gradually passing from our lives. Sometimes I wonder – how did we get here from there? Seems like yesterday, but someone told me it was a long time ago. KW
1 comment:
I so remember hanging around your house when all your family was young. There always seemed to be a houseful and in my mind, I kind of adopted them. It *is* strange that so much time has gone by. I remember well when Dan's last older cousin passed on and he realized he was now the oldest in his family. Time does change things.
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