Visiting the cemetery was part of a Bakersfield visit organized by my younger brother Ralph. On a recent annual family fishing trip, my Tio Willie explained to my brother Ralph he wanted to come to visit his Bakersfield nephews and nieces. Ralph explained to me Tio Willie “wanted to make sure it was a small gathering because he didn’t want anyone to go out of their way or fuss about seeing him.”

Seeing my Tio Willie and his wife, Tia Vole, is rare. They live in Victorville and have been married 72 years. God bless their son Phillip, my cousin, who is their caretaker and travel navigator.

All it took was Ralph calling and saying, “Tio Willie wants to see us all” and the unintended and unavoidable “fuss” began with my seven siblings. All other family events planned the weekend of his visit were canceled, postponed or gladly rearranged.

We all pitched in and Ralph reserved a group site at Kaiser Permanente Sports Village. Why a group site, you ask? The expected gathering of 60 to 80 brothers, sisters, cousins and family of the heart is why. A “small” gathering in my family is nearly impossible, especially when it concerns a visit by our last remaining uncle.

Everyone brought desserts, cold drinks and an extra-large dose of joy and happiness. My Tio Willie explained Tia Vole would only allow him to have three beers a day … sometimes.

I can’t explain why, but I was nervously excited about seeing my Tio Willie. His stature reminds me of classic Hollywood stars from the John Wayne, Clark Gable and Henry Fonda era. He stands tall, handsome and military proud. His beautiful smile is sincere, unforgettable and reminds me of my mom.

When he arrived at the park, there was a rush of family wanting to see, hug and love on him. They were all excited to greet and reintroduce themselves to him. My son Sean said, “Hello, I’m Sean, Steve’s son and this is my wife Yvonne and my children.” “You’re married?” my Tio Willie asked. Sean answered “Yes.” “Why wasn’t I invited to your wedding?” my Tio Willie jokingly responded. It was a hilarious refrain repeated as each nephew and niece came to him to proudly introduced their families.

I selfishly tried to take advantage of Tio Willie when he finally sat down and tried to spend “quiet” time with him — nearly impossible as the family mayhem continued and circled all around him. It was important for me to tell him how much he meant to me, and I knew to my brothers and sisters. My daughter Nikki said to me later, “Dad, I saw you talking to Tio Willie. It looked like you were crying.” I explained to her my Tio Willie was my last living connection to my mom who has been gone more than 50 years now. “I don’t know why, but I was just overwhelmed,” I embarrassingly explained.

At 92, my Tio Willie’s wit is sharp, but his memory has faltered a bit. He kept asking me, “Am I the only one left? What about my brothers and sister?” I explained they were all gone now but today we were all here for him. He would look up and see all his nephews, nieces and family. His Hollywood smile would reappear.

I asked Ralph, who spent the most time with my Tio, how he felt about the day. Ralph said, “Tio Willie wasn’t worried about being forgetful because he was so happy. I’m just glad we all brought him a little joy and happiness.”

And I am happy and grateful for my supportive and caring “small” family who validate that family is our first and most important wealth.

Email contributing columnist Steve Flores at floressteve32@yahoo.com. The views expressed here are his own.