Auntie Cornelia Visit (Day 21 Road Trip)

Today we drove from the Lufkin, Texas area to Jefferson, Louisiana. Jefferson is a parish near New Orleans. We are staying the night at the Brent House Hotel and the accommodation is quite nice and within half of a mile of Joe’s Aunt Cornelia Whitlow.

Cornelia is ninety-four years old (95 on June 1^st) and lives in the home she purchased after Hurricane Katrina destroyed her home in 2005. She is as independent as possible with neighbors keeping an eye on her, her son (Jimmy) checking in on her regularly, and her daughter (Julie) often comes from Salem, MA to check up on her.

One of Cornelia’s favorite meals is chicken and coleslaw from Popeyes. We picked up the chicken, slaw, rice and beans, and biscuits and sat at her kitchen table reconnecting. We spent a couple of hours catching up on what Jimmy, Julie, and all the grandchildren are up to these days. We sat on Auntie’s backyard deck after dinner and enjoyed a nice breeze and more conversation.

Things to know about Cornelia:

•       She is a huge fan of Joe and his siblings (Steve, Tom, and Mary Jane). I have a photo somewhere from Cornelia’s wedding with 8-year-old Joey kissing Cornelia’s cheek as she leaves on her honeymoon.
•       Joe loves his Auntie and they both love nature, gardening, eating lots of fresh fruit, and collecting facts.
•       Before her marriage and move to New Orleans, she was a reporter. She was sent one time to interview these two guys who were starting a company in their garage. She wanted to help them out, so she bought stock in their little company: Hewlett Packard.
•       Her maiden name is Matijasevich, and she is very proud of her Croatian heritage.
•       As Joe had his science cabinet, Auntie has a curio cabinet full of items she has collected on her travels.
•       She has a fishpond in her backyard and enjoys feeding both the fish and the birds that visit her yard.

We got a few pictures and then agreed to go back  to her home tomorrow morning to have breakfast before we drive on to Huntsville, Alabama. 

Cornelia and Joe on Auntie's deck

Beth and Cornelia

The fish pond Jimmy built his mother

One of the corners of Auntie's yard

Joe holding a small pottery bowl he made when he was about 21 years old (so the bowl is 52 years old)

Joe showing the outside of the bowl he made and sent to Auntie in 1971. She says she uses it all of the time and thinks of Joe every time she uses it.