Amelia Schwind Vining was George Vining's second wife. She lived practically forever (1864-1958). Much of that time, it seems, she was off her rocker.
Paul Vining, George's last surviving grandson, told me that once Amelia held a very fancy dinner party, lavishly turned out with a servant delivering dishes of food -- to an empty table. The fact that there were no guests didn't seem to bother Amelia. She carried on a happy conversation with the vacant air.
Mother recalled visits during her childhood when she and her brother went to visit "Great Aunt Amelia" (she was actually their step great grandmother).
Mother's parents had warned the children that Amelia was "a little strange" and just to agree with her whatever she said. Amelia seemed convinced that her step-daughter Nell was plotting against her and had hidden radios in the walls. In the midst of an otherwise normal conversation Amelia would say, "You hear them? You hear those voices. That's Nell talking about me. She's put radios in the walls."
"Oh, yes, Aunt Amelia, we hear them," the twins would respond dutifully.
