Audrey: When we moved to Anthony, Ed gave up school and went to work. He worked for Standard Oil Company of New York. He drove a big truck and loaded it up with gas. He went to gas stations and loaded the little tanks with gas.

Audrey: Oh, they didn’t think about education the way we think today. They thought about getting a job and making money. Working was more important and making money.

Audrey Mae MacDonald and sister Edith Anna Evarone in Hawthorne, California

Audrey: Spencer was a little boy in the playyard in Grandma’s kitchen in front of the stove. Ed would come home and eat and then get in the playyard with Spencer. Ed would fall asleep and Spen would crawl all over him. Spencer was the first grandson there as Aunt Edith’s children were all raised in California.

Audrey: Oh, I loved going to school! I went to school when I went to Anthony. I was in the fourth grade when I started there, and there I met Beatrice. We were in thc same grade, and we were friends and always together until we went to high school when they would not let us have classes together, because I was in the classical course and she was in the commercial.

They would not even let us sing together. Beatrice and I sang together (a duet) at church. I could hit high C and I had a beautiful voice. If I had been trained, I bet I could have been in opera. We sang, The Lord is my Shepherd, No want shall I know... which was a very pretty song. I would sing the tenor part and Beatrice would sing the tune. When the minister’s twin sons who were missionaries were going to Africa, they requested that Beatrice and I sing that song at the last Church service before they left. They went to Africa where there was much danger, but they returned home with no difficulty.

Milton Earl MacDonald and Audrey Mae Spencer

Audrey: No, I do not remember singing then. I don’t know why I didn’t.

Audrey: Oh, let me think about that. I can’t remember right now, but I know I have it written down and you have its somewhere

(Douglas MacDonald stated that Grandpa MacDonald’s mother’s birthname was Conlon.)

Audrey: No. No. I never get tired when I’m talking geneology.

Audrey: I have the corner room here at Alpine and it is the best room here. (Alpine Staff) couldn’t be any better. Vivian (Audrey’s roommate), she is great. Vivian reminds me of Grandma.

Audrey Mae MacDonald reading her books at her daughter Deardra’s home

Audrey: I’m doing fine. I feel good. Everything is going just fine. My feet and legs seem very good. My legs are pretty strong. I go along my simple way. In life, (an analogy) I’m in water with just head out. That’s all I want—just to keep my head above water. In life, I’m walking along. I have everything I want. I have a common sense way of thinking about life. Life is not a sad way. It is not that I want this or I want that. I just go along. If I have sadness, I just keep walking along in life. I seldom felt blue. It (my life) was all right. It wasn’t super. I entertained myself a lot. I kept myself busy with my books. I’ve had so much pleasure in looking up things. I have a magnifying glass the size of the paper and I put this on the paper to read. Why does the name Soloman Levi keep coming into my head? I do not know if that was a book or a song or who he was but the name keeps coming into my head?

*Solomon Levi was a song

Audrey: I made sure you kids all called me Mother because Ma Perkins was on the radio and everyone called her “Ma”. She was a wonderful old lady that was good to everybody. Everybody loved her, and Ma was all right for Ma Perkins. I wasn’t going to be called Ma because I didn’t want to be (dowdy) like her. She was as dowdy as she could be. Also on the radio call ins, it was Ma did this and Ma did that, and the serials on TV all called mothers “Ma”. Mother was (and is) such a beautiful word.