So long Uncle Nick...

NickEdna
Originally uploaded by Skip Hansen.

My Uncle Nick died this morning at 5:15. I just got the email from his only child, my cousin Bob.

Uncle Nick had been around a long time, I hope he would forgive me for not knowing exactly how long. Over ninety for sure.

The picture is of my uncle and his wife, my Aunt Edna.

They spent the early part of their lives in South Dakota...Sioux Falls specifically...my birthplace. My mom (Ednas' sister), my dad, Nick's son Bob (and eventually most everyone else in our family) moved out to California in the early 50's. We settled in the San Fernando Valley, Uncle Nick and Aunt Edna ended up in National City, near San Diego. That is where Nick plied his trade for many years, carpentry, and retired in the 60's.

My family would make the 160 mile, 3 hour drive to San Diego a couple of times a year to visit my aunt and uncle. It was also a time to visit the San Diego Zoo (and later, Sea World), Balboa Park, and Mission Bay. But it was much more than the zoo or Sea World for me. My Uncle Nick and Aunt Edna were the typical aunts and uncles. We would stay at their home...Aunt Edna would cook something I liked, and my sisters and I got to play in their big backyard that had peach trees, lizards, frogs, and a dead gopher or two that Nick had trapped.

They seemed to always be there for most of our Chrismas'...we have a ton of 8mm film shot during our family gatherings. They are always there!

You never really want to be hugged by your aunt...but somehow, I kind of looked forward to it from Aunt Edna. Even though I would squirm and grimmace a bit, it always made me feel special. While she was hugging me, I would look over at Uncle Nick...he would raise his eye big bushy eyebrows, smile, and just...whistle. He would always whistle. Nick whistled at his parakeet, Pete, all the time, 'Hey Petey boy...hey Petey boy"...and Pete would respond with a similar whistle.

Uncle Nick and Aunt Edna loved to take the senior buses to Vegas. The 24 hour-turn-around trips. They would go to Vegas and inevitably come back ahead! It was amazing. Keno was where they won the most money. Nick would say in his fading Dutch immigrant accent, "Yah...won 12 hundred dollars at Keno..." My parents would bristle a bit (they never won much) and say, "Oh really?"

So, Uncle Nick? I am quite sure you are not into the internet "up there", but for what its worth...we'll miss you! There must be a great casino up there...and they must have Keno...so, I know you are winning!