There Really Was An "Aunt Lettie"

Many times in my 'growing up' years I would hear Mom refer to someone as Aunt Lettie. I had no idea if there really was an Aunt Lettie or if it was just a name she came up with. If you were called Aunt Lettie, it meant you were shirking your job. Mom said after a big family dinner, when it came time to do the dishes, Aunt Lettie always had something else to do - usually holding the nearest baby. (And if there wasn't a baby available it was needing to use the outhouse.)
So, in our family, if it was time to do the dishes and you weren't around Mom would say, "Oh, Aunt Lettie's holding the baby." (Picture of Mom with 2-week-old Dominique Danelle Fleming.)

Looking through some old pictures I found this one of a group of women (and one small boy). Luckily my grandmother was good about putting the names on the back of photos or I would have no idea who they were. Back row, left to right: Laura, Mother, Rosa - and there she is - Aunt Lettie! Front row, l-to-r: Aunt Myrtle, Elva Means, Aunt Zoah, Jessie. The little boy is Marvin Means. He was born in 1914 and looks to be around six in this picture, so I would guess the picture to be from around 1920. I would love to know the occasion. Was it just a family dinner or an outing for these women? (No men in the picture.)
Laura (Brock) was the wife of my grandmother Delphia's brother, Orphas Means. Marvin was their son. 'Mother' meant Grandma Delphia's mother, Matilda Lippincott Means. Rosa Hardisty Means, standing next to her mother-in-law was married to Lettie's son, Harrison Henry Means. Lettie Crist Means was the wife of Melvin Means the brother of Delphia's father, George. I wonder if she ever knew her name was part of our family's sayings.
Aunt Myrtle Olds Means was the wife of Harrison Winchester Means. Elva Freshour Means was the wife of  Peter O. Means. Aunt Zoah Ann was a sister of Grandma Delphia's father, George. She married Simpson Robison. They lived in Onawa, Iowa. Jessie Means Miller was Grandma's first cousin, daughter of George's brother 'Bing' (Isaac Bingsley Means).

This picture of cousins was taken around the same period as the photo above, though not the same day as Jessie has on a different dress. Back left, Zoah Means Mangels (daughter of Harrison & Myrtle Means; niece of Zoah Ann). Back right, Blanch Means Taylor (daughter of Melvin and Aunt Lettie Means; wife of George Taylor). Front left, Ethel Means (Darrow is crossed out - Shannon written in. Haven't traced her yet.) Ethel was the daughter of Daniel and Clara Means. Middle, our grandmother, Delphia Means Ridnour (daughter of George Robert Means and Matilda Naomi Lippincott) married to Joseph Ridnour. Right, Jessie Means Miller (daughter of Bing and Susie Means) married to Harry Miller.

I can get a little carried away when I get into family history. The point I want to make is that whenever there is a baby around - like Rodney in this picture of us taken almost three years ago --

you may just call me Aunt Lettie because I'm going to be the one holding the baby (here with Lily in June this year) - NOT the one helping do dishes!

(The Aunt Lettie reference lives on in my immediate family. Son Douglas called me Aunt Lettie when I took his granddaughter, Lily, away from him at his birthday party last month.)