My Aunt Thelma

Here I am... imagining I am entertaining at my New York Nite club.  Notice the Coke a Cola dispenser to my right.  "Rum and cokes for everyone, on the house!"  Life was good, business was good, what could go wrong?   After the funeral, and things became even more real.  We packed for our trip to Glasgow, Montana.  We would spend Christmas with family.  Trying to have a Christmas without my father Joseph Epler.   I still remember how awkward it was at school before Christmas break.  I was now the kid whose dad had died.  Everyone is so nice to you, even the bullies.  By magic I won the class room Christmas tree.  My number was drawn by my teacher, Mr. Armstrong.  I hated being singled out, and blushed hot red.  Mr. Armstrong was one of those teachers, who loved teaching.   He helped me alot that year.  He delivered the tree to our house.

This is a previous Christmas in Glasgow.  We are at my aunt Thelma's house.  Everyone seems to be having a good time....except me.  My aunt lived 14 miles from Glasgow, in a town named Nashua,MT.  It was a town of maybe 600.  Mostly people who worked at the dam or were farmers.  They all knew each other and their business.  I would stay with my cousin Paul.  Rather than the 20 year old pull out sofa bed at Grandmas.
This was a town found in "Its a Wonderful Life."  Remember the scene where George Baily runs thru Town, caring a wreath."  The town looked like that.  Lights strung across the entire street (hung by my Uncle Vernon, a volunteer fireman) My Uncle Vernon ,also, owned the Bar, bowling alley, plumbing supply, and trailor court (three set ups).  In fact his father built the town hall, too.  So everyone knew them and knew I was visiting...and why.

My Aunt Thelma (nick named Betty Grable) was one of my mother's sisters.  This is her wedding picture.  Mom is on the left and aunt Margarete on the right.  When they lived on their homestead, and my grand parents would travel to town, Thelma would tell stories to the younger children.  Who were mom and my uncle Norman.   It would almost always be her version of Peter Pan.  You know the one where Peter is an orphan forever.  When he tryed to fly threw  the window, they shut the windows in his face.  And locked him out...forever.  You couldn't  help but love this woman and her wicked sense of humor.  When Mom died, Thelma said to me,"Well I am the Queen bee now."
When I arrived., that Christmas, Thelma hugged me and said," So glad you are here, Paul has been waiting for you."  No tears and no sadness on her face.  I was so thankful for that.

I sat around as they opened gifts.  I was starting to feel overwhelmed.  Dad was dead and my life would never be the same.  " Kent ,Santa left this for you."  Thelma had sensed that I was about to crash.  "I just noticed it , here."  She handed me the cowboy wrapped paper box.  Everyone stopped and watched me open the box.

"Kreskin's ESP....its just what I wanted!!!!"  ( I had never heard of Kreskin before...ever)  Thank you so much.  I opened the box and studied the contents for the next hour.  Having studied the instructions, I began to amuse my audience.  I now had ESP!  And used it to manipulate my relatives.  (so they let me think) But for that first painful Christmas I could just be a kid.  And forget...for a while. 
Many times I would stay with Thelma, in Nashua.  She always hard loved me, never tears.  But I always knew she cared for me.

This pioneer stock woman is the last of eight children.  She still lives in Nashua, MT.  She drives her van to her lake house.  Complains of the snow and bad weather.  And hard loves all her family.  I love her.  And will never forget that Christmas in 1965.