My Aunt Clara was born January 27, 1936.
Grandpa called her his California baby since she was conceived on the trip
out to that state to visit family.
This picture was taken as they made their way. Check out this old road
construction method! I don't know when or who gave her the
nickname "Cookie" but that's what we all called her. She uses her
given name, Clara. She was named after two of her Kerber Aunts:
Clara Caroline Augusta and Anna Belle Roberts Kerber.
She grew up with her older siblings
Junior (Herman), Helen and Betty on the family farm in Faucet, MO
and attending the same school at Sparta. I think she must have been
about this age when the family moved into the house on 13th street
in St.
Joseph. I love this picture
of Aunt Betty on the left and Aunt Cookie
It always seemed to me that Aunt Cookie looked most like Grandma.
I found it interesting that they are both about the same age and wearing
Indian princess costume.
I believe she finished 8th grade in St. Joseph.
I remember her telling me that she started high school when they moved to
the farm Grandpa bought in Horton, KS but she just could not settle in there
so quit her education at that point. I believe it was within five
years and she, Betty and Helen moved to Topeka for find jobs.
This picture was taken at the farm in Horton, KS. I think the girls
were on there way back to Topeka after a visit. Left to right:
Betty, Chick Orem (Mother's future husband), Helen (my mother), Aunt
Cookie, Grandma and Grandpa Kerber.
Aunt Cookie, Grandpa (Herman Sr.) and Grandma (Louise Seifert) Kerber, Aunt
Betty and Helen in the front yard of their new purchase on Mulvane St.
Aunt Cookie and her friend Lillian,
moved to California where other extended Kerber family made their homes.
I believe they rented from her Aunt Clara for a time.
My Aunt Cookie was like a movie star to me when
I got to see her. She lived in California and she would visit family in
Topeka, Kansas
at least once a year.
I usually got to visit from St. Joseph at the same time. She was beautiful,
like
Liz Taylor,
and she brought back unusual things from California, like the candied orange and
lemon candy she offered us once. It looked like the real thing, but was sweet
and chewy. I remember those visits as being very special when the family could
all be together. Growing up, I always felt love from the Kerber's. Guess that's
why it is so easy to love them right back.
Aunt Cookie, like Aunt Betty, always loved animals. Her
first pets were the farm animals and especially her horse
in this picture she is in the middle of Mother on the left and Aunt Betty on the
right. These are some pictures of her with some of her pets over the
years.
They settled in San Bernardino
and lived there for many years. She worked for a large grocery store chain
and retired after as many years. It was an earthquake that drove them from
California to Nebraska where they live today. I'm sure its been a
readjustment to the Midwestern Winters.
She continued to come back to St. Joseph and Topeka on visits
until her health made it hard.
Standing: Helen (my mother), Uncle Herman and Alan Sitting:
Aunt Clara and Tina taken in the 1990s
The last time we all were physically together was in
2007 to celebrate the 80th birthday of Uncle Herman's life
.
We all knew how hard it was for Aunt Clara and Lil to drive that far given their
health issues.
My mother Helen, her eldest sister, passed away on Mother's
Day 2008. I came down with pneumonia from my drive up from Texas and had
to stay at my sister's and could not attend the funeral. Aunt Cookie was
also down with the flu and could not attend so I called her and we spent the
time together on the phone sharing our grief. Later, I got some pictures
of Aunt Clara. They had made the trip from Nebraska to St. Joseph to put
floral arrangements on the gravesides of our family members.
