Tuesday Feb. 18, 2003 - 11:05 p.m.
Oh my goodness, I just realized that today would have been my sweet little Grandma's birthday. She was born in 1871 on a farm in Ozora, MO. the oldest of four brothers and one sister. Ozora wasn't very big then, and still isn't. The Catholic Church across the road from their farm was and is the main building in town. Out on the main road now there's a gas station and convenience store. The old farmhouse has burned down now and been replaced by a more modern house.
A young man named Tom Bryan came to teach at the school and roomed with the family. Mary didn't go to school very long after she made her First Communion, as she was expected to take her place in working on the farm and caring for the younger ones.
Tom was the much loved youngest brother of eight sisters, who had grown up around the Coffman area. They certainly had an easier life. I don't know why she accepted his offer of marriage, and I don't know why he offered it. I'm sure that she wondered that herself many times. I think she did have another beau at one time. At any rate, she and Tom married early in 1893 when she was 22 years old. She wore a brown wedding dress, and they were married in the Catholic Church there.
They moved to Ste. Genevieve and rented the little cottage behind the Old Southern Hotel where other teachers also lived. Tom taught school in the public school system, and Mary settled in to housekeeping. A few days after Christmas of that year, the twins were born. The baby boy died early.
A couple of years later, Tom, or Guss, as he was known, was appointed
Supt. of Schools, Mary had borne another daughter, and they had started on their many moves. Guss had a habit of buying or building a home, and then selling it to move on to another. Mary hardly ever had a chance to unpack.
The first home they lived in when Jennie was born was one of the old historical homes, the Guibourd-Valle House. It had a wide front gallerie, large rooms, with massive doors, a fenced back yard where she could plant her garden and enjoy her roses.
After Morgan, my dad, was born, they moved to the Old Rock House across the street and a block over. This is where Dad spent most of his boyhood, and the longest time ever in one home.
Guss ran for County Clerk and held that position for many years until he retired shortly before his death. He would bring his cronies home to the Rock House for dinner, and Mary would fix big meals, serving the meat on a large white platter, and the home canned peaches in a glass compote, both of which I treasure. In the mornings she would work in her garden across the street in a spare lot. And when she had a little time, she pieced on her quilts. In later years she took up dressmaking on the old treadle sewing machine that Guss had bought for her shortly after their marriage.
When Mom and Dad were married, they lived with Mary and Guss for a short while, before Guss died. Later on, when we moved to St. Louis, Grandma Mary and Aunt Gen lived with us. She still kept up with her quiltmaking and pillowcase edgings. It was nice to come home from school on cold winter afternoons and see her and Mom sitting by the stove, each busy with their own needlework. ( Jennie didn't like her name and had changed it to Genevieve.)
She was always a quiet, mild mannered little woman. When she died at 86, I was already married and away from home. I hope that when she got to Heaven that she was presented with all of the quilts that she had ever wanted to make here on earth. Happy Birthday, Grandma. Take Peace.
A bit of excitement this afternoon when I picked up Steph from school. As soon as we walked in at home, she smelled something, and sure enough, poor Pokie had embarrassed herself on the carpet. Quite a few times. We grabbed gloves and toilet paper and set to work while Pokey stood by and watched. Then the phone rang. It was her dad, and she asked him to call back in a few minutes.
Then her mom called, to ask her to please put on some water so she could have a cup of coffee when she got home. Some poor man had been talking to her in the office, and all of a sudden he got strange, and started having a seizure. She was able to help him down before he fell, and finally help came, and he was admitted. But in the attempt, she was socked in the eye. No damage.
Back to scooping, and the phone rang again…her dad again. Finally got it all up, and she sprayed some cleaner on all of the spots to soak. I grabbed a couple loads of towels to bring home to help out with laundry.
I talked to Mike on messenger tonight for a long time. He gets online when the others go to bed. He's doing well, enjoying the sun, and the family. Hope it keeps up for a long time, but at least he's feeling fine for the time being, and I'm thankful for that.
