Personal History of Nedra Pauline Gabrielsen Bedke

When my sisters and I visited Aunt Nedra last year, she gave us a copy of her personal history.  We took it to a copy shop and made copies for each of us.

When we visited Aunt Nedra in 2017.  L to R: Leslie (cousin), Joan, Pam, Nedra, Me, Patty, Eric (cousin)

Nedra

I loved reading this personal history.  Nedra is my father's youngest sibling, and the only one still living.   Nedra has always been kind of a personal hero.  She is such a strong, amazing woman and certainly worth emulating.  I learned so much about her and about my dad's family in her history.  It was full of pictures:

Some of the stories she told from her childhood I had heard from my dad and from his written history, but it was enlightening to read them from her perspective.  She helped me know and understand better my grandparents and great-grandparents.
Aunt Nedra is 86 years old.  But you would never know it.  She is young-looking and beautiful.  She is very active: still baking and cooking and canning and gardening (she takes care of her large yard except the mowing.  And she teaches 20+ piano lessons every week to children in her community of Oakley, Idaho.  She is an amazing cook.  She learned as she cooked over a wood stove at the ranch. The cabin had no running water, power, refrigerator, or toilet.  She fed ranch hands delicious meals under those circumstances.  She is widowed as she lost her amazing husband, Ray many years ago to cancer.  Her children are wonderful people.  Her oldest son, Scott serves as speaker of the house in Idaho.
Years ago, she had a strong desire to help our family be closer and started family reunions.  Those reunions are treasured memories- especially ones held at their ranch.
I am so grateful to have her personal history.  It is a treasure.  And I am grateful to have Aunt Nedra in my life.