Aunt Tammy

My sweet Aunt Tammy passed away yesterday, as a shock to everyone. It's been very hard , since I won't be able to make it home for the funeral, (as hard as I've tried to make it happen) and I wish so badly I could be close to family right now.

Aunt Tammy was very outgoing, boisterous, and always fun to be around. She referred to herself as the "Fun Aunt". I have many memories that I will always cherish. Here are just a few.... (picture: Left to right, Aunt Tammy, Mom, Aunt Shareen. All beautiful women!)

1. ***My earliest memory is a little patchy because I was so little, but I think I remember the most important parts. I was probably 5 years old, and I was at my Grandma Fullmer's house on a Sunday night with the whole family, like usual. (We went to my grandm'as EVERY Sunday night when I was growing up to visit, and I still would if I lived closer to home.) Anyway, back to the story. One night, I ran to the bathroom in a hurry and I guess being a 5 year old, I didn't find it necessary to lock the door. (A lesson I've never since forgot.) As I was sitting, feet dangling from the porcelain throne, somebody barged in on me. The funny thing was, this "somebody" (aka Aunt Tammy) was in too much of a hurry to "go", to notice a little runt on the pot, and before I could say a thing, she had her pants half-way to her ankles, and she was 3 inches away from squashing me like a pancake. All I could do was let out a blood-curdling scream that even I didn't know I had in me. I never saw anybody jump so high in my entire life! We use to laugh about that story for years!


2. ***Aunt Tammy was determined to give me a "hard head". I would cringe any and every time she wanted to braid my hair. I always felt bad for her kids having to get their hair combed by her, because she was SO rough! However, I do remember LOVING all the braids and things she could do with my fine, thin hair. She was very talented like that. So funny, the things we remember!


3. *** I remember swimming with Aunt Tammy in St. George every year, when we would go down for the fights. We would always put our wet hair up on top of our heads, and do some synchronized swimming routines that she would choreograph, and do underwater exercises to increase our "bust" size. Something she definitely didn't need to do, but was helping us scrawny girls out, I guess. I still remember doing it while we chanted, "We must....we must....we must build up our bust. No fear, no fear, we'll wear a brazier!"


4. *** I also remember when I would stay at Aunt Tammy's house, she would drag me out onto her porch and make me sing for all her neighbors. I was always willing, but it was always her idea. She was very proud of me and my talent, and wanted me to share it whenever I could.


5. *** One time when I was little, I had a sleep-over with my cousin, Brienna. I don't remember why exactly, but Brienna went to bed early, and Aunt Tammy and I stayed up for hours watching tv, and eating twinkies. Around midnight, I thought it would be such a fun idea to go "swimming" outside in the freezing cold, and not-to-my surprise, Aunt Tammy agreed. We put on our swimming suits and together we ran through the yard to the swimming pool, pulled back the pool cover (which she claimed kept the water warm) and jumped in. We sreamed and laughed so hard because we were FREEZING cold! It was so much fun though! It's funny how sometimes it takes losing someone to sit and think about all the good memories you have with them. I'm so glad that I've had a chance to know such a great person, and that I have these memories (and many more), to always remember her by. I love you Aunt Tammy, and you will be greatly missed.