Great-Aunt Jo
by Daryl Cornish

My Great-Aunt Jo was born in the year 1900.

She lives in Baltimore, Maryland. She's a loving and kind woman, nice to everyone, and if you ever need a place to go you could always go to her house.

That's my granny's auntie. I live with my granny and grandpa. My granny is 62 and my great-aunt is one hundred and five.

Aunt Jo was married to a preacher. He died at age 95. They were married for over 60 years. They never had kids of their own. She must've loved him more than anyone to stay together that long.

Great-Aunt Jo was around when racism was prevalent. That means racism was around everywhere she went. She probably saw Black people getting beaten, hangings. She's probably seen a lot of her family and Black friends die unfairly just because of their skin color.

My granny said that she saw Martin Luther King preach. I bet that day she was overjoyed and overwhelmed.

She runs around like she's young!

She's the oldest one in our family. It would've been my Great Granny but she died when she was in her 80s. I call her Momma Carrie. Her maiden name was Hogan. She married my dad's father. I never met him. I think I saw him one time.

She had this big box of ice cream cones on her fridge that I used to always steal. She was really nice. I was real small and most of the time she would help me get up there. She'd help me steal her own ice cream!

She took care of my Auntie Karen before she died. She cancer in her back and it spread.

I think she may have been a nurse. I'm not sure. She still lives on Chase Street in Baltimore. She has plenty of friends that live around her.

Her birthday is in September. I don't know the exact day but she could be either a Libra or a Virgo. I think she's a Libra, because she is:
Diplomatic and urbane
Romantic and charming
Easygoing and sociable
Idealistic and peaceable

Those are traditional traits of Libras.

This is what I know of my Great-Aunt Jo. She's classic. She's one of a kind. I hope she lives 100 more years.