On February 10, 1909, Olive Cox was born in England. She became my Great-Grandma Vaile. I was blessed to have her in my life until I was 26 years old. She passed away in 2006. Since my cousin reminded me today of her birthday, I have been reflecting on this woman. I found a few photos from scrap books. This one is from 1990. I got to go to a Vaile Family Reunion in Canada. I wasn't quite 10 years old but went with my Grandma Aline Kelm and my uncle Warren. My memory mostly consists of idolizing my dad's cousin Robin, and hearing aides screeching during some gathering. And I still have my own pink hat! Olive Cox came out West from across the pond to find a cowboy. She married Ralph Vaile. I also think of her has a strong brave woman to cross the ocean in the early 1900's, leaving her home behind her.
This one is from my uncle Warren's wedding. I'm on the right. If you look at the photo below you get a better shot of the necklace Grandma Vaile gave me to wear with my dress for the wedding. She declined my returning of it and I have cherished it as a gift ever since.
I'm not sure when this was taken, but it is a photo of my grandma Aline with great-grandma Olive. Just as I did growing up with Aline, I wrote corresponded with Olive. Today I pulled out the letters. I love the one where she talks about Wolf and Aline coming to Texas to hear the Three Tenors soon. She said she was always partial to Tom Jones and country music. She said she babysat my dad and his siblings while Aline and Wolf travelled to Europe. She said Orlando changed a record from country music to opera and she could have strangled him!
Today on Olive's birthday, I will don her pearls once again, and put on her mother's gold wedding band. (Elizabeth Davies Cox was married in 1899 to Peter Cox.) I can't wait to see Olive again one day when my adventure on this earth is over.
