Another family note -- my cousin, one of the Greatest Generation, passed away

[rogerashton]

on Monday. This is not a sad story. He and his wife had celebrated their 70th anniversary earlier in the year, and the story was in the local papers. It was that romantic.

My cousin was a military flier in WWII. Shot down over occupied France, he escaped and took refuge in Switzerland. The locals held a dance to cheer up their refugees and his wife-to-be was one of the locals at the dance. As he told it, he decided the first time he saw her that he would marry her.

He did, and brought her to his home, a literal whistle-stop town in the southern Bible belt that she would always call "the Willage." It's not all wine and roses, of course -- talking real life, here -- but 70 years later my cousin, past 90, still had not retired. On Monday he came home from work, prepared dinner for her, lay down for a nap and did not awaken.

Few of us can hope to be so blessed.

[cyberswede]

1. What a great story.

[riversedge]

2. Lovely. I only hope to be so lucky--die in sleep peacefully

[niyad]

3. thank you for sharing this. peace and comfort to all his family and friends.