It’s not every day you have your first child on your own birthday, but that’s exactly what my grandmother, Anna Schumacher Spencer, did when she welcomed her first daughter, Laura Spencer Fredrick, on August 3, 1912, at age 25. It would be another ten years before my grandparents had another child, though no one in the family knows why. When my Uncle Bill arrived in 1922, my dad, Allen, came along in 1924, followed by my Aunt Ruth in 1925. Still, for a whole decade, it was just Aunt Laura. I wish Grandma could have known that she also now has a great great granddaughter who also shares that special birthday. I think she and Aunt Laura would have loved that.
Grandma and Aunt Laura were inseparable. More than just mother and daughter, they were best friends who shopped, traveled, and tackled housework side by side. With Grandpa often away for work, Aunt Laura kept Grandma company most of the time. They shared a close bond, and Aunt Laura was always a big help to her mom. They also took a number of trips to visit family. Theirs was a very close relationship for a number of years.
When Uncle Bill arrived, Grandma was running a hotel, and ten-year-old Aunt Laura became her right-hand helper and nearly a full-time nanny. I can’t imagine how Grandma could have managed without her dear daughter’s support. They shared more than just their birthdays…they shared the workload, the child-rearing, and countless memories. When Aunt Laura married in 1932, just before turning 20, she and her husband, Fritz, moved from their home in Holyoke to Minneapolis. I’m sure Grandma felt the loss deeply. Minneapolis isn’t far, but it was too far for daily visits. Nevertheless, that is the way of 
children. Today marks the 139th anniversary of Grandma Spencer’s birth and the 114th anniversary of Aunt Laura’s. Happy birthday to both of you in Heaven. We love and miss you very much.
