Ann Louise Raymond
1910-1999

Aunt Ann had a smile for everybody. And often chicken and dumplings, too. She was an amazing woman who could whack you on the backside with a wood spoon for stealing those dumplings while never letting you doubt for a minute that she loved you from the bottom of her heart.

She died March 30, 1999, at age 89, and the world is a sadder place.

Click on each of the four pictures below to see a larger image.

The first picture is of Aunt Ann in Cleveland in the early 1930s with the first of many pet dogs. A sharp dresser, she caught the eye of Hal Raymond, a drummer playing the regional vaudeville circuit, and they married. The second picture shows her in the bar she owned with Uncle Hal in Ravenna, Ohio, after he retired from orchestra work. They eventually moved to Florida, where the third picture was taken in 1943 -- my mom was visiting while dad was preparing to go overseas in World War II. After Uncle Hal's death in the 1950s she returned to Cleveland and became a welcome fixture in the homes of her brothers and sisters. The fourth picture was taken in 1969 at my brother Tim's wedding, where all the aunts gathered for a family photo. Aunt Ann is on the left in the front row -- as always, smiling.

The photo at the top of the page was taken in Sun City, Arizona, after her retirement there. With her is her favorite pal, Holly.

The photo below (no enlargement) was taken at Aunt Margaret's wedding in 1948 -- the first of the all-seven-sisters shots. Aunt Ann is the third from the left. Can't identify them all? From the left: Sue, Agnes, Ann, Mary, Margaret, Betty and Ellen.