Day 28. Happy 90th Birthday, Aunt Sue!
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA– Today is a special day; ninety years ago today, in 1919, a mischievous twinkle first sparkled in a newborn’s eyes; Susie Willena Kornegay had arrived, and by golly, she was going to enjoy her life.
Aunt Sue
Sue is the third girl and the fifth child born to this, still growing, family. Her oldest sister, Mary, only lives for five months. Her next oldest sister, Connie, is my mother’s mother, and the grandmother I never had the pleasure of knowing. But I am so lucky to have known her younger sister, Sue. My Great Aunt Sue.
Growing up on a farm in Vance, Alabama, Sue learns how to be a formidable cook, gardener and homemaker. In 1940, she marries the love of her life, Jimmy Lee Junkin (Uncle J.L.). For years, she works as a beautician and manicurist.
My mom remembers Sue flying to South Carolina one year, and how, when she got off the plane, she looked just like a movie star. She dazzled her niece and nephew in her high heel shoes and big city style.
The Aunt Sue I would come to know in my childhood was simply one of the best Southern cooks I would ever meet. And according to a friend, “It’s not just that she’s a great Southern cook. There are lots of great Southern cooks around here; Sue is special because of the way she shares her cooking. She’s always giving a Peanut Butter Pie to someone. She’s always sharing what she makes with others. I’ve never known anyone who is so giving with her food.”
Growing up, I remember her hands, her strong fingers, in particular, working peas out of shells and corn off the cob, snapping ends off of beans, peeling shrimp and slicing tomatoes. As a child, I understood that she knew how to handle food. She really knew how to cook.
Aunt Sue looking glamorous at the airport. My Grandfather, Red, on the right.
Over the years, I would see Aunt Sue at family reunions, weddings and funerals, including my uncle J.L.’s funeral.
At ninety years old, her opinion is strong, her looks still kill, and her heart is bigger than ever.
Aunt Sue has given me many things over the course of my lifetime. She shared her own recipes as well as a lifetime of recipes that her good friend, Bert, collected. She gave me boxes of treasures for my kitchen and table: tiny glass shell finger bowls, an apron, a cake stand, a metal vegetable press that I’ve yet to figure out how it works, and a hand-crocheted linen table cloth that she and my grandmother made for my mom’s wedding present. It is an exquisite work of art.
This afternoon’s birthday party will bring together over a hundred people who love her. I feel blessed to be among those attending.
Happy Birthday Aunt Sue!
Aunt Sue would want to share her Peanut Butter Pie recipe.. so I’d better do that for her, before I get in trouble.
Aunt Sue’s Peanut Butter Pie
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8 oz. Cream Cheese
1/2 cup of Extra Crunchy Jif Peanut Butter + 1 extra heaping spoonful, for good measure
3/4 cup Confectioner’s Sugar (sifted)
16 oz. Cool Whip
Graham Cracker Crust
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Whip Cream Cheese and Peanut Butter together until fluffy. Add the Confectioner’s Sugar and most of the Cool Whip. Pour into Graham Cracker crust and top with remaining Cool Whip.
November 28th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Love these pictures! And I think it’s awesome that she’s smiling. Seems like all pictures from that generation are always so serious, and add to the black and white nature, it made them look so unfriendly. I have some shots like this of extended family, albeit small, and they’re such keepsakes.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
I always knew you had writing talent! I now know why. You have heart! And lots of it… PS I see a resemblance in the eyes, which of course is a euphemism for heart, but also a truism. GREG
November 28th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
I love you.
November 29th, 2009 at 1:14 am
This is great! I love the photos especially the first one. Thank you for sharing her peanut butter pie recipe.
November 29th, 2009 at 6:18 am
What a wonderful tribute to an amazing woman! Great peanut butter pie recipe, too. My mother’s side of the family is from the south and I love their recipes, so many of which involve Cool Whip.
November 29th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
I fondly remember your Aunt Sue and her visits to SC. She looks so much like you grandmom that it brought tears to my eyes. You have wonderful grandparents and you keep them alive in our hearts by sharing your thoughts and memories. I love you.
November 29th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
What a sweet surprise to see the picture of Uncle Red! Wasn’t he handsome. You had wonderful grandparents, and their influence lives in you in ways you probably cannot imagine. Your Aunt Sue looks so much like your grandmother. The older I get, the more I miss all of our relatives who are gone from this place. Thanks for the precious memories.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:26 am
Love this post about your Aunt Sue. Everything about this is just so lovely- your entire blog! The pie sounds wonderful.
December 1st, 2009 at 4:08 pm
My family was fortunate enough to live next door to Sue and J.L. from 1964 to 1968. Needless to say, they became like family to us, and we’ve never lost touch over all these years. Thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute to a wonderful woman that has always been dear to my heart. Your description of her snapping beans really hit home. My sister and I went by our old house Saturday afternoon and as we walked past Sue and J.L.’s old house we reminisced, “Remember sitting on that porch, snapping beans?”