What an obscure subject. Definitely one that requires you to stop and think. Bachelor Uncle. Who in my tree hasn't been married that I haven't already talked about. While I'm sure if I go back far enough in my tree, I would find someone, but I think I have the perfect ancestor to write about this week. And he actually is an Uncle of mine, through marriage. Uncle Keith Rickards. (Not Richards lol)
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| Keith & his Grandpa Rickards |
Keith Warren Rickards was born on December 5, 1937. He was the first born child of Joseph & Lilly Rickards. He was the brother of my father in law. I never got the opportunity to meet Uncle Keith because he died on September 19, 1989; many years before I ever met my husband. I've been told stories, shown photos and even visited his grave. He was a very special man, and he was never married. The short time he was on this Earth was a blessing for sure. Why do you ask? Because Uncle Keith was born mentally retarded.
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| Keith with his father & brother |
Lilly found out when he was three years old. The doctors told her to lock him up in an institution and forget about him. She could not do that. That was her child. But she knew, it was more than she could handle. So he was admitted to a local rehabilitation center when he was 5. I'm sure that was probably the hardest decisions of her life. Although, he was living there, he was not out of their lives. She was up there visiting as often as she could. You see, she still had another child to raise; my father in law. He was only 2 years old when his brother was admitted. Keithie, as she called him, was getting the best care he could to learn how to grow up and become an adult.
In later years, Lilly took a job at the rehabilitation center in the gift shop, so she could be close to her son. She loved him with all her heart. Her baby. Her first born. She was interviewed for an article for the St. Louis Post Dispatch celebrating Mothers. You can read in her own words, what she thought, how she felt, and some details about his life. My husband has no memories of when Uncle Keith was alive, but does remember attending his funeral. He said it was the first time he saw his father cry. He is buried right next to his mom and dad. He lived until the ripe old age of 52. While normally that seems young, but for what he was born with, he lived a long full life.
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| Dad, Brother, Keith, Mom |
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| The last photo ever taken of Uncle Keithie |
Sweet story. Lilly sounds like she was a strong woman.
ReplyDeleteShe certainly was. She came from a very strong family. She had six siblings, and quit school so she could help raise them and support them. I had the pleasure of meeting her before she passed along with my daughter. I have one picture I treasure that has my husband, me, my daughter and Grandma Lilly altogether.
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