Cousin Frances

Frances - this picture is likely from the 1950's, when she would have been in her 40's!

I didn't meet her until she was in her 80's--

I don't believe she ever considered herself to be "old"

--or maybe she just didn't accept it.

She lived in New York City,

always hoping for that "big break,"

For 12 years she was a Radio City Rockette,

She claimed she never made a mis-step in the routines.

Frances traveled with the Rockettes to Paris to compete in the Expo there.

They won first place!

Show business was in her blood --

Her older sister Vivien was in vaudeville

and an accomplished pianist.

Frances loved to dance and was also

a singer and pianist.

To say that there was rivalry between the sisters

may be an understatement; I do not know too many details.

Frances said that her sister was the "beautiful one"

But they were both very pretty:

Frances was blond and Vivien was a red head.

Both very talented!

Frances appeared in two movies:

"That Kind of Woman" (starring Sophia Loren)

and "The Edge of the City"

She also appeared on the "Milton Berle" Show.

She rubbed elbows with a few celebrities,

including Katherine Hepburn and Greta Garbo.

As she got older, she continued performing in one-woman shows.

Her mother, a costume designer in New York,  made her costumes.

Frances would research and create the choreography.

Frances never married, and was extremely close to her mother.

After  her mother died (at nearly 100 years old),

Frances said she didn't know how she was going to go on.

Frances visited relatives in Minnesota in the 1990's.

She was still tall and thin, with long 'blond' hair.

She didn't wear glasses (at least not around us).

But in reality, she didn't look as young as she hoped she did.

She seemed to be a lonely woman,

who enjoyed watching her just-met relatives.

She remarked that she couldn't get over how happy we all were,

and that we got along so good!

In 2004, we received word that Frances had died.

She was 92 years old and alone.

Frances' mother (Ann) was my dad's oldest sister

Here is Frances with my Mom circa 1996

Mom was born in 1908 - Frances was born in 1912

{Frances is on the left}