Probably more about the family than you want to know....

Been thinking a lot about losing Cleon, and feel like I should explain why it's so hard...

For those that don't know our family history, My mom and her brother were left at ages 2 and 4 with their paternal grandparents to raise. Their parents had split up, and neither wanted the kids. My grandpa was 19 when he had my uncle Tommy, and 21 when he had my mom... so he was 23 when he walked out of their lives. My great grandparents Granny and Papa Brown were in their mid-40s when my mom and uncle came to live with them. My aunt Cissy Brown was 21 at the time, a few years later Cleon Kelley came into her life. They didn't have children of their own, so they were the closest thing to real parents mama and uncle Tommy had. Not that Granny and Papa didn't try, but I don't think they were prepared to raise two young children again

A few years after that, my dad's oldest sister Bille Jackie Dickerson married Cleon's older brother Jay Kelley. Kind of cementing our family's relationship with the Kelley side of the family. The town they lived in was small, Santa Paula California. They all lived on the Limoneira Ranch for much of their childhood.

I always kind of think it's funny how I am related to both sides... Kelley and Brown. Directly descended from Cissy's side, she was my mom's aunt, and my great aunt, and then Cleon by marriage was family. But my Aunt Billie married to his brother Jay also made us family to the Kelleys. I have first cousins on both sides. My parent's marriage connected to two families even more.

My parents got married, dad joined the US Navy, and we moved around. My young childhood spent several years living in Almeda Ca, then Dublin CA, and lastly Port Hueneme while daddy was stationed at Point Mugu. Then my dad had to go off to a training school for several months, so mama, my older sister Laurie and I went to stay with my Uncle Tommy, Aunt Pat, and my cousins Miles, and Gabriella. We were there about 4 or 5 months I think.

During the time we lived in Ca. we spent a LOT of time with family. Mostly Granny, Papa and Cissy and Cleon. My dad's mother still worked full time, and his father died when I was 3, so we didn't spend as much of time with the Dickerson side of the family. Occasionally when dad was home we would drive to Oxnard to the house on Evergreen Square and visit Grandmother Dickerson, Uncle Mike, Aunt Marty Ann, and my cousin Mickey.

But mostly we spent weekends in Saticoy, at the little house across from the school. It used to be Cleon's parent's house, and Cissy and Cleon had lived in the "Little House" on the property. A guest house of sorts, had a living room, bedroom, and kitchen. No bathroom though - that was in the laundry building in the backyard. Later they moved into the house, and Granny and Papa lived with them. Eventually, my mom's dad moved into the little house, years later.

Cleon and Cissy were just always there for us. Holidays were spent at the house on Jazmin Avenue, my parents left us occasionally overnight with them, and we had trips to the A&W drive-in for burgers and root-beer (for me) or coke (Laurie).

They were VERY big visitors to the bar in Saticoy. We got to go with them, probably not something that could be done in this day and age, but at our young ages it was so much fun. Sawdust for the shuffleboard all over, sitting on barstools drinking soda pop, or as Cleon called it "Sody" pop.

There was this little carnival kind of thing in Saticoy (might have actually been Ventura I can't remember) but they had real horses that were tied to a circular thing and Cleon would take us there to play and ride horses. That was when my older sister Laurie's obsession with horses started.

One of my favorite memories of Cleon is his nickname for me, he called me "Stevi MacNelley" . He said I needed a good Irish name like Kelley. Stevi is the nickname I grew up with, ALL my family called me that.

As we grew up, and moved away, finally ending up in Texas, we didn't see them as often at all. We visited California about once a year, they came to Texas a few times too. But Cissy always sent boxes full of her garage sale treasures back to us, always thinking of mama and her girls when she was out shopping. Most of the Kelley side cousins grew up calling Cleon "Uncle Biggen" .. not us, he was always Cleon. Cissy was always just Cissy. I still have a few Christmas cards with her signature, I treasure them, like I do the ones from my mama over the years.

My mom's dad passed away when I was 10. He ended up living with my Granny, Cissy, and Cleon in his later years, then moving in with my Uncle Tommy and Aunt Pat before he died. But he wasn't around a lot as I grew up.

I didn't get to know my mother's mom until I was about 11, she lived in Austin Tx, when we were in Fort Worth. I did see her several times over the years but never got quite as attached as you might think one would to a grandparent. I guess not knowing her when I was younger, and the obvious strain between her and my mom made it difficult. Both my mom's parents were alcoholics, this eventually is what took my grandpa.

My mama talked to Cissy every week, and after my mama died I started calling her, if not every week at least 2 times a month. I called until she died, and I called after that until Cleon quit answering his phone. I always left messages, but he didn't call back. Then his phone was disconnected - (Found out just yesterday reason's why, but that's not something to go into here)

This is why Cleon and Cissy meant so much to me.. They were ALWAYS there, they did "grandparent" kinds of things for us. Gave us candy and soda when they knew we didn't need it. Let me "Drive" the pickup in Cleon's lap when I was 5. They were for all intent's and purposes my grandparents.

And they were the best grandparent's ever.

Cleon was the last person I was really close to from my "childhood" that was left. My sister Laura, mama and daddy all died in 2005. (Laura 02/18/05, Mama 07/09/05, Daddy 09/05/05) Cissy died in 2010. Now Cleon is gone. I am so very, VERY glad I got to see him last September.

I probably gave more information than anyone wanted, but I just needed to write about Cleon and Cissy and why they are so very very important in my life.

Here's my blog about Cissy

https://appleblossomsandsunshine.blogspot.com/2010/11/saying-goodbye-to-wonderful-woman.html