The past 15 months of my aunt, Dixie Richards life have been among the hardest of her life. On May 11, 2025, Aunt Dixie lost the love of her life when her husband, my uncle, Jim Richards went to Heaven. Aunt Dixie and Uncle Jim had been married just one month short of 64 years. With that many years under their belts, they barely remembered a time when they weren’t husband and wife. I know that after his passing, Aunt Dixie felt like the house was very empty. Thankfully it was only a short time until school was out, so her daughters, Jeannie Liegman and Raelynn Williams would have the summer off.
While the loss of Uncle Jim was devastating, Jeannie, Raelynn, and their kids made the summer a little bit better for Aunt Dixie. The girls took their mom to garage sales and took 
her to lunch. I’m sure there were also visits to the area thrift stores, which are places many of us love to frequent, me included. Great bargains can be found there for sure, and one of Aunt Dixie’s grandsons works at Rescued Treasures, so I’m sure they went there. Aunt Dixie and the girls also went for walks out by their house. Getting out in the fresh summer air was fun for all. Jeannie had also done a lot of work on her back deck, making it really a beautiful oasis for them to sit and enjoy the evenings. She did an excellent job on it, and it is a cozy spot to be very proud of. She is quite talented at design.
The hardest part of the past year was when Aunt Dixie had a mild stroke. Thankfully she was on the phone with one of the girls when it happened, so they were able to get help immediately. She spent three days in the hospital, but she came out of it very well. In talking to her, I could not even tell from her voice that anything had happened. She has been to her doctor, and they are so pleased with her progress that they told her to come back next year. I’m sure that if anything else went wrong, of course, that the girls would get their mom in just as quickly as they did this time. They all over their mom and 
grandma so very much, and they want to have her around for a very long time yet. Today is Aunt Dixie’s 83rd birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Dixie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
