Posts Tagged Aunt Edith

Richard Anthony (“Deacon”) Spencer

Audrey: Aunt Mandy, Deacon Richard Anthony’s daughter, told and wrote down much of the Spencer family history. She put a date on every paper. I remember my grandfather, John Johnson Spencer living in our household when I was a child.

William J.B. Spencer (Audrey’s father) was sent as a young boy to live and work the farm with his great-uncle Gus (William Augustus Spencer) at the Spencer Homestead on Middle Road. Uncle Gus had no sons, so William J.B. Spencer was to inherit that homestead on Uncle Gus’s death. Uncle Gus died when Aunt Edith (Edith Anna Spencer, Audrey’s older sister) was two years old. Uncle Gus was a mean man; Violet’s grandmother hated him so. Violet’s mother married John Jason Jolly who was William J.B. Spencer’s favorite great-uncle; John Jolly (Jason) Spencer was a perfect man.

*Anna Maria was Audrey Mae’s paternal grandmother.  The name Maria was pronounced Mar-eye-ah at that time in history. Audrey would spell her grandmother’s name as Anna Mirah (aka Myriah) because that was how it was pronounced and actually written in some legal documents.  Audrey was surprised to find out later in life that her grandmother’s name was actually Anna Maria.

**The initials J.B. in William J.B. Spencer stands for Joseph Briggs, the second husband of William J.B.’s maternal grandmother, Ann Almy (née Tarbox) Spencer.  Joseph Briggs gave $50.00 to his stepdaughter Anna Maria (pronounced Mar-eye-ah) to name her son after him.

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: Aunt Edith lived with Aunt Martha in the city. Martha lived on Greenwood Avenue. Aunt Edith sold jewelry when she got of age. Aunt Edith was very pretty so when she smiled, everybody ran after her.

Yes, I am so happy.

As a child? Playing with my doll.  I adopted Edith’s dolls. I had them after Edith. Then Anna Jane got the dolls. They probably all broke with her.  She was reckless. She didn’t sit and hold them.  She was running around and throwing them up in the air.

I’m very alert today.  I’m reading books.

Vaughn (was here).

Everything around here (Alpine Nursing Home) looks so nice. I’m lucky. I don’t have any pain at all.