Aunt Rose — our favorite 95-year-old aunt and family matriarch — with PJ at Uncle Paul and Aunt Karolyn’s 50th wedding anniversary bash.
With age comes aches and way too many doctors, hospitals and short-term rehabilitation centers.
Fortunately, we’re from a big, fat Italian family. When things look bleak, we know relatives will help us gut through the tough stuff.
Native Americans say such healing comes from “good medicine.” In our clan, family makes “good medicine.”
So if you’ve got a minute or two to spare, please say a prayer and perhaps pick up the phone or send a get-well card to Aunt Rose. She’s been a little lonesome since she’s had to move for awhile into the Heritage Health and Senior Care Center, 7588 Staunton Rd., Gillespie, Ill. 62033.
Her private phone number is 217-839-2362.
And she’d love to know if you lit a candle in church for her.
Meanwhile, Aunt Rose will continue working to get things whipped into shape at the new place.
Humble Beginnings 
Thanks for the update on Rose. She and my mother (Fern Masotti Kleber) were friends way back in Mt. Clare (Mom grew up there too). My mother had lost touch with Rose over the last year or so, and is delighted to know where she is now. However, she has tried to call Rose on the private number above and has not gotten through. My husband tried to call Rose a few times to ask her to call my mother, but call only went to voice mail. Let me know if there is a better way for my mother to contact Rose. Thanks!
Dear Lynn,
Forgive my tardiness!
So sorry I forgot to reply to this when I returned home from visiting Aunt Rose last week.
Her phone number is correct. It’s her previous home phone number (probably still in one of the older phone books under Jim’s name) even though she’s at the Heritage Health? in Gillespie for rehab.
She’s doing pretty well, all things considered.
But she’s craving visitors.
Keep calling. Her phone goes to voice mail after 4 rings and usually before she can get to it, much to her frustration. And I don’t think she knows how to retrieve voice mail messages. Sigh!
Paula