Kitty

Kitty in Pink

Kitty's real name is Agnes Aurelia Heard.  She was named after two of her aunts.  Kitty never liked her name and has always gone by "Kitty".  I think her name is beautiful.  Kitty's father always called her "Kitten" and the name stuck.

Kitty was born in La Salle Parish in Louisiana.  She is a real southern lady.  I don't think she was real happy, at first, that I was dating her daughter but I think she has warmed up to me.

When Kitty was about 2 years old, the Ku Klux Klan put an incendiary device in the attic of her parent's newly built home.  The KKK was not happy with her father not being involved in the KKK as he was not inclined to agree with the KKK perspective.  Her family managed to escape but barely.  Her father died when she was twelve and her mother died when Jeannelle was a year old.

Kitty met Ted Arthur Ahlm while they were both working in the Pentagon during World War II.   They were married in Vidalia, Louisiana, at Kitty's sister's home.  Ted remained in the Army Air Corps and was shipped from base to base.  Kitty followed sitting on her suitcase between the train cars full of soldiers.  When the war ended, Ted and Kitty returned to Buhl, Idaho where Ted's parents lived.

Kitty is fearless.  When she rode around on the back of my Harley, she reveled in the experience and called in my ear that she understood why I loved the Harley so much.

Ready to Ride

When I was in high school, my mother was lecturing me about money, budgeting and told me money did not grow on trees.  The next day, Kitty gave me a one hundred dollar bill for Christmas and I could not help showing my mother and exclaiming about a tree I had found in the neighborhood.

Were it not for Kitty's generosity, my family would not enjoy the educational, business and life opportunities we now enjoy.  I love visiting with her and we share a love for antique teddy bears.  She has a love and an eye for beautiful things.

Kitty and Matthew

Kitty loves family and loves her three grandchildren.  She dotes on them and is intensely loyal and proud of the three boys.

Kitty and Arthur

Kitty loves to go to the desert and hunt for points and other treasures.  I also remember going to the Ketchum cabin in the winter and we would hang out and talk while everyone else went skiing.

I have not written about Kitty before as she is intensely private but I hope she doesn't get too mad at me.  I love and respect her dearly.  Kitty is an absolute delight.  She is my favorite mother-in-law.