In many families, it was the last generation where children often grew up in families with more than five children. It was also the last generation where children often saw their own siblings die before adulthood. Grandpa George Muffet, Jr. was one of eight children to George and Helen Muffet that lived to adulthood (three died as children). Grandma Willa Mae (Cox) Hanshaw-Webster was one of seven children to Marion and Ocie Cox that lived to adulthood (one died as a child). As adults, they both married and raised their children in houses within walking distance of their parents and siblings. Mom (Nancy) grew up seeing her paternal Muffet family multiple times a week and the same for Dad (Keith) and his maternal Cox family.
The last surviving sibling of these two grandparents was Aunt Edna (Muffet) Snyder and Uncle Lester Cox. A lifelong resident of Barberton, I have spent a lot more time with my Muffet family near Barberton than I have with my Cox family near Marion. I knew Aunt Edna much better than Uncle Lester, but the similarities between their lives, families, and deaths are strikingly similar. Aunt Edna and Uncle Lester were born in the summer a little more than a year apart (July 1925 and August 1926). They both had four children (two sons followed by two daughters for each) and had the longest marriage of their siblings. Aunt Edna and Uncle Lester were both preceded in death by their younger spouse, all their siblings, and several nieces and nephews. They both lived in their own house and drove well into their 80s. Aunt Edna and Uncle Lester both defied the lack of longevity that was generally associated with their families.
Aunt Edna was Mom’s last living aunt and Uncle Lester was Dad’s last living uncle. Aunt Edna was the last living woman in the family to support the WWII effort working in the factory (Barberton B&W). Women were relied on for this so men like Uncle Lester, the last living WWII (Navy) veteran in the family, could serve out nation in the military. They were the last two survivors in my family from the Greatest Generation.
I have done a lot of family genealogy, so I have shared various documents with both. Aunt Edna and I talked face-to-face many times, while Cousin Ginny Buckey-Stewart mostly communicated between Uncle Lester and me. I knew it was important to hear the memories of these two individuals while they were still around because there would be no one else left from their time to share them once they died. Aunt Edna outlived all her siblings by 25 years, while Uncle Lester outlived all his siblings by 10 years and all his brothers by 30 years.
Aunt Edna and Uncle Lester both retained a strong memory and good mobility past their 89th birthdays before Father Time got the best of them. They both had a good Christmas before going downhill at the beginning of the following calendar year. Aunt Edna died on January 9, 2015 and Uncle Lester died on March 30, 2016. They both died at 89.5 years of age, give or take several weeks. The Greatest Generation has now been limited to the memories and legacy left behind by my grandparents, many great-aunts, and many great-uncles.
The Silent Generation (1928-45) gets its name because it “silently” fell between the Greatest Generation and the transformative Baby Boomer Generation (1946-64). The Silent Generation is now the oldest generation of my family. Survivors include Uncle David Monsour (Grandma Lillian Muffet’s half-brother), Aunt Helen Cox-Hoodlet (Grandma Webster’s sister-in-law), Dad, and the oldest of Mom’s Muffet-Monsour 1st cousins. Dad, who will be age 73 on April 10, is now the oldest biological relative in his Cox and Hanshaw families.
