Monthly Archives: June 2004

Audrey: I don’t know for sure. There was a story about climbing a tree and one fell. I do not know for sure.^*

^{* Richard Anthony Spencer, Anna Maria’s father, died in New York on 5-27-1845, so more than likely Audrey’s comment on falling from tree refers to someone else.}

Audrey: Martha married Harry Kirby, who was full of fun and always making me laugh with his jokes. He always was making everyone laugh. Their first child was Harry Jr. Their second son was Raymond who everyone called Ray, and he was full of fun like his dad. Their daughter Viola was full of fun like Ray, and their youngest daughter Marian was quiet. Every other thing, we were all over there as Martha made big dinners every Sunday. Martha laughed right along with them.

Audrey: Susan, Margaret, Rachel, Eben and Walter. Rachel was the youngest and Susan, who did all the sewing, was the oldest, I think. Walter was sickly and I think he died when he was young. He was always sitting in his rocking chair and I think he died in that rocking chair. He probably had some kind of disease like infantile paralysis.

Audrey: She had a bunch of children and a big yard for kids.

Audrey: Yes,  until she moved back to the city where she died. (Anna Jane’s family was growing and she needed more space in Gramma’s house.) Rachel was the youngest daughter and she was serious and everything had to be just right. She sold silk stockings (at the Outlet, a department store in Providence) so everything was proper in her space. There were long stockings and garters and long stockings with seams down the back. She married Walter, a comical man who was so funny and smart. He had something to say about everything. He died long before she did.

Audrey: Yes, he’s coming. I go and I go, but then I forget where I’ve been. I always have.

(Referring to the caretakers) Oh, yes. They are all good and kind. I like them all. I haven’t had anybody that’s been bad!

I sit here and put my head back and fall asleep. I’m happy here in my little (companion) chair.

I’m looking at Chicken Little, yellow cover with paisley necktie. I had my bunny on the bed when I left. When I came back, there was a chicken here with the bunny. He says  The Night Before Christmas.

Audrey: Grandma told nursery stories to me. She sang a song, one-half a story and one-half a song. Grandma would fall asleep, but I was first.

Aunt Jeannie was a second mother. Vaughn went over there as it was a second home. Vaughn didn’t like Aunt Di at all. She took his toys and put them on top of the ice box, where Vaughn couldn’t get them. Addy hollered at her to not take Vaughn’s toys.

Aunt Di had lived in a mansion. When Di’s husband died, she couldn’t live there alone. She was miserable to everyone. Aunt Jeannie was older than she, so aunt Jeannie had to boss her around.

Aunt Di kept out of Dick’s way. He hollered at her. If Dick would get a hold of Di, he would shake her. Addy kept out of Dick’s way. Addy was named out of a book that Aunt Jeannie was reading.

Dick blamed his mother, Aunt Jeannie, for letting the doctors do an operation on him. The doctor said Dick would be cured, but in the end all Dick could do is walk with crutches. (He had polio as a child.) He could drive his car. Here he was an old bachelor and he never harmed any of us. He always said we girls were his legs. He was a wonderful old bachelor. He was always reading. Addy didn’t care to read. Addy didn’t even have a car. Dick would back his truck to the grocery store and they (grocery store help) would put the food in the back of his truck. Addy would bring food into house.