Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Erika Koegler was my aunt, who lived in a town 50 miles away from where I grew up, but, despite the distance, it's not difficult to sort back thru' one's memories and choose what made that person special to me. Images and instances pop to mind of her during our yearly family summer and Christmas gatherings, and my summer stays with my Cousin Cindy. This is how I remember my Auntie Riki. She was a free spirit which you could see so clearly in the twinkle of her eyes. Always intensely interested in you, as a person, and in what one was doing with one's life, she displayed insight and warmth in her conversations. She really listened to you. She loved to laugh (or was it more of a chuckle?), and, in latter years when my Mom lived above me in her own apartment, I could hear Mom laughing with her while on their weekly telephone call. She was much loved by her family, and all those who knew her. May we all draw on our memories with Auntie Riki (Erika) and keep her spirit ever present in our lives.
