One More Link Erased

I grew up in a suburb not far from O'Hare airport. I was born in Wisconsin, but my dad got a pretty nice sales job in Chicago when I was a baby, so we moved to an apartment in Park Ridge. On occasion, I can catch a glimpse of a memory of that time. Shortly after that, my folks decided to buy a house in the suburb where I grew up. When my sister was born, we got a new house just around the block.

Throughout that whole time, I don't think we ever went a full month without visiting our family in Wisconsin. As a kid, my time was split between a large, bustling suburb and a small town where everyone knew me (whether I'd met them or not). While crime was a little different in the 70s and 80s (I could ride my bike around the neighborhood by myself without worry that I'd be abducted), there was a wholly different feel in that small town in Wisconsin.

My grandparents owned a tavern, which had four boarding rooms. My grandpa cleaned and tended bar, and my grandma cooked for everyone. At one point, they built a 14-room motel across the drive, too. My grandma's brother had a tavern at the other end of town. My sister, cousins, and I used to love walking from one tavern to the other. We'd do a scan of the chips or candy at either place, and usually got a freebie or two.

These weren't just bars - they were public houses. A home away from home. The meals were simple but great. Hamburgers and fries, but also roasts, sausages, holiday fare, and other things that might remind you of home if you didn't have those things for yourself. I had them in spades.

My great aunt Shirley (my grandma's brother's wife) was the cook at their tavern at the other end of town. They put out the best fish fry I've ever had. My grandma, who could make anything, would order their fish fry when we came up to visit. That tells you something.

Once in a while, I'd sneak out to visit Shirley on my own. They had an old-school ice cream freezer, and you know Wisconsin ice cream was good in the 70s. Shirley made it even better as a malted milk shake. Man, I had it covered as a kid.

Well, Shirley died yesterday morning. I wasn't super close with her as an adult, but she was certainly influential on me. She is in my earliest memories. She was a former dancer turned tavern owner, and so while she indeed was a little old lady, there was little she hadn't seen or heard in her time. Most importantly, she was a force of good.

So now, even though she didn't live there herself anymore, I'm another step removed from that little town in Wisconsin after the funeral tomorrow.