Memories of Aunt Fran

 Memories of Aunt Fran

Cynthia Vold Forde:  Aunt Fran was a dearly loved paternal aunt who visited my grandparents often when I was a child.   As long as I can recall she was the other half of Uncle Si.  They came as a treasured pair.

My most recent memory of Aunt Fran was this morning listening to my voice recording on a video.  Yes, that sounds just like Aunt Fran indeed.   As she aged, her voice grew hoarse and shaky, just as mine has grown shaky.

Memories of Aunt Fran stretch back decades to Grandma and Grandpa Vold’s round dining table where my grandparents dictated letters for me to write to my aunts and uncles when I was not yet twelve years old.  I understood it to be the most important job because grandma and grandpa did not write in English. I remember nothing of the content in the letters, only that I was just out of reach of the yellow glass compote where grandpa kept peppermint candies.  On one of those occasions, when it was time to address the envelope, awareness kicked in; I learned that Aunt Fran and Uncle Si had a more specific address than the Twin Cities they discussed, instead, they lived in St. Paul.  Everybody called my dad Paul, so it was puzzling to think he might have had something to do with Aunt Fran living in a town with his name.  

Frances Arlene Vold’s story begins with her birth on 6 February 1920 in Northwood, Worth County, Iowa; the Volds had recently moved from their farm south of Northwood to a large home northwest of the main street; she was likely a change of life baby.  Her mother, Sithone (Tona or Susan) Turvold Vold, was forty-three years old when Fran was born.  Her father, Carl Otto Vold, was forty-four. She was welcomed into a family with two older sisters and three older brothers, creating a half-dozen Vold siblings.  Fran’s parents were first-generation Americans, speaking only Norwegian at home. Interesting that I never heard Aunt Fran speak a word of Norwegian.  

Siblings: Mabel, Fran, Alice, and Paul

The Great Depression of 1930 affected the family financially and emotionally; Grandpa Carl went to the bank to get his savings of  $10,000 from selling the farm, loaned to his best friend, the banker, Tommy Groe. The money was gone and so was the banker, where I don't know.  Grandpa was so angry, he never set foot in the church again. They sold their large house and they bought a smaller house that was under construction from his brother-in-law Iver Hopperstad for $75.00.  

Fran was baptized at First Lutheran Church in Northwood on the seventh of March 1920 (her brother Paul’s fifth birthday), and she was confirmed on the thirteenth of May 1934.  She disliked the pastor and she did not return to church.   

During high school, Fran acted as a courier between her brother, Ervin Gelnor Vold (nicknamed Paul or Ole), and my mom, Rose Arlene Miller in their budding romance.  Mom and Aunt Fran graduated from high school in May of 1937.  

My mother married my father on the fifth of September 1937, and Aunt Fran joined her siblings working in the Twin Cities where she met Simon Pepin Meyer. Simon was born, 4 Jun 1914, Havre, Hill County, Montana, the only grandson of Simon Pepin, the wealthy founder of Havre.  

My favorite memory of the Uncle Si part of their duo was the eye-opening stories he told of Indian lore, making us blood sisters of the Cree Indian Tribe.  Of course, that included a treasure map that just blew into his window one night; it came from the Indians.  And our adventure began following the map to discover coins in a hollowed-out tree in Central Park.  My sisters and I had a three-way split of $3.57, which meant we should have a shopping trip to Albert Lea, Minnesota on the bus to spend our money on purses and to learn how to eat with fine manners at a Chinese restaurant.

In 1952, my parents, sisters, and I traveled to California with Fran and Si in a very crowded Buick that indeed hilarious stories, but the best was stopping in Las Vegas in the middle of the night.  Mom, Dad, and Uncle Si went into the casino for a very short time, leaving aunt Fran with three little girls. Only, the gamblers did not stay a brief time.  If Fran was not happy about that, she was especially upset when a woman accosted us on the street, “What are you doing with your children out at three in the morning?”

Aunt Fran and Si moved to California shortly after that trip. Si loved to gamble and died doing that 27 Dec 1975, Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada.  He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Havre.  I visited Fran not long after she was widowed when she gave me grandpa and grandma’s wedding photo.  It is a treasured gift.

So was the gift of Aunt Fran's time.  Aunt Fran and I had a delightful time touring Norway in 1995, and she spent two wonderful weeks at my ranch in Texas in 2001. She died on 25 February 2003; she is buried next to Si in Calvary Cemetery.

Bonnie Vold Baker shares her memories: “I remember as Cynthia did all the fun treasure hunts along the river behind our house. Si loved to take us shopping and he bought me my first “can-can” and I just loved it. When we moved to Glendale Ca in 1957 Fran and Si lived there in an apartment with a pool. We loved to go swimming there.  One of the fondest memories is when they took me to Las Vegas and I bought this strapless dress with a full skirt and Si said it made me look too young but I wore it anyway and they couldn’t take me into the gambling areas because I was always asked for ID.   After getting married and Si’s passing, we saw Fran a lot. If we went to Glendale, we always took Fran to her special restaurant - we’d laugh, and she loved her cc/7 as a cocktail. We had a ball with her - Merrilee might tell you a funny story at Thanksgiving and we’re again laughing - oh well I’ll tell it and I laughed so hard I couldn’t control it and there was a little puddle on the floor. Well Merrilee knew and we could not stop laughing over that - so upstairs I went to change clothes and Fran never did get it what happened. Oh, so many stories… we miss them both!!”

Merrilee Vold Reid says, “Aunt Fran was one special woman! She was such a lady and with such class.  I would not put her in a category with a typical “aunt”.  She was like a girlfriend that you would laugh and giggle with and share stories. We had many moments where we did just that. She was so easy to giggle and laugh and she so enjoyed watching us girls grow up.  My favorite memory, out of many, was when Bonnie and I picked her up at her apartment and flew her up to Las Vegas to celebrate her 80th Birthday. She absolutely loved to Las Vegas and spent so much time there with Uncle Si before his passing.  We went from hotel to hotel up and down the strip... Caesars, Bellagio, New York New York, the Venetian all by limousine, had a fabulous lunch at the Paris Hotel, dinner at the Bellagio, and were able to slip in a gondola ride.  We flew back home at 9 o’clock at night. Aunt Fran fared much better than either Bonnie or me. We were exhausted and she was ready to go even when we arrived home!”

Jennifer Ruprecht Gilbertson remembers Mom (Mae) was living with Aunt Frans's family for part of her childhood.  Aunt Fran was her aunt.  My grandma was Aunt Frans's oldest sister, Mae Vold.  Mom was born on June 24, 1924.  Aunt Fran was a very important member of our family.  I remember many visits to our home in White Bear Lake from Aunt Fran and Uncle Si.  We celebrated many holidays together and Diane and I were lucky to have spent overnights in their apartment.  We always had a wonderful time going to special places and fancy restraints.  We would travel to Northwood to visit the Vold family.  We were so sad to hear they were moving to California so we couldn't see them as often.  One year we drove to California with our family to visit.  That was a big trip for our family.  We had a grand visit and saw many attractions.  Aunt Fran loved to eat out, but she was a good cook too.  She was a gentle mentor, an easy giggler, and cried easily in silliness and joy.  I remember her feminine manner, her soft blonde hair, her attention to detail.  She had style and grace for us to follow.  To remember her brings such heartfelt memories.

Diane Ruprecht Johnson remembers spending alternate weekends with Aunt Fran and Uncle Si, too, plus the many trips they made to California to visit that marvelous couple so adored and loved.