Grandmother Reel

Anna and Alice Valin


Royce and Anna Reel 9 February 1930 (They were married 4 days before>)


Anna on her Baptism Day 1942


The Reel Family 1945


The Reel Family 1947

I have been thinking a lot about my grandmother, Annabelle Valin Reel lately. She's 96 1/2 years old. We live a long way away from each other. I may not see her again in this life. My memories of playing at her home and visiting with her are precious to me.
I used to write to her all the time after we moved away from Indiana. I wrote for many years. The letters which I kept from her are great to re-read now. With the birth of my children, the advent of emails which she doesn't have, and starting to work outside the home I dropped off in my correspondence. I don't write much to anyone anymore. But I have begun to write to her again. She can't write back now. Although she did send me a birthday card this year. She signed it herself, but her once beautiful handwriting is gone.
My mom told me Grandmother is blind in one eye and cannot see very well out of the other. But I can picture her sitting in her chair while some one reads my letters to her. One thing she likes to do is to re-read letters which she receives.
She still lives in her home and a couple of my aunts take care of her.
I have been thinking about her life. I have been thinking about the experiences which we share as women, wives, mothers, and grandmothers.
The connection which we share has not been broken with the passing of time, distance, and will not be broken after she is gone from this earth.


Grandmother and I