Just before I began to work on this project, my father’s aunt, our beloved Great
Aunt Mary, passed away. She was 97 years old. She lived a full and amazing life that
took her on a journey from upstate New York to California by way of Panama.
Although she was always interested to hear about our lives, she was also a wonderful
storyteller who related tales of her own mother secretly learning how to drive the
family’s brand new Model T and her father struggling to adjust to the reality of the
Great Depression.
It was my family’s experience with her final years, however, that made me
particularly interested in this project. Like many elders I was able to meet through this
research project, Mary Brooks preserved her independence with a fierce dignity,
despite considerable difficulties. I am dedicating this thesis to Great Aunt Mary
because her memory influenced me throughout this study and guided me to be a better
investigator.
Great Aunt Mary’s ashes were scattered in San Diego, a place she had loved
and called home for over 70 years. Although she is remembered by friends and family,
there is no physical monument to honor her remarkable life. Mary Aurelia Brooks was
born and raised in Geneva, NY after her father attended Cornell University in 1893, so
it is fitting that a small piece of her life history will quietly remain forever in the
Cornell Library. Great Aunt Mary never desired to draw attention to herself, but
hopefully she would not mind this acknowledgement of the influence she had on my
desire to contribute to the well-being of elders by giving them a voice.