Sinsull, that's an interesting story. I had a great aunt who never married. She was the younger sister and when her older sister (my Grandmother) married, she was expected to go live with her and help her out with her new baby. Well, 3 kids later, she finally was able to live her own life. The story goes that in 1940 she got a job at an insurance company (she worked there until retirement) and began dating a fella from Church. Well, we entered the war in 1941 and he joined up and got killed in D Day. She went back to live my Dad's family and never uttered another word about marriage or having her own life. She helped raise me in fact. She was my sister's godmother even.

WE've tried to ask about it within the family but its a forbidden subject. There was a rumor that she was a lesbian and some of my family believe this too. I don 't think so. I got the feeling she had some terrible personal sorrow she was living with. She was so close to my Grandmother that every time something bad or good happened to Gran, my great-aunt would latch onto that as a reason to stay with her. When my grandfather died unexpectedly at the age of 64, it was a forgone conclusion that the two sisters would stay together until one of them died.

I wonder how many maiden aunts have similar stories.