FanStory.com - Lucille 's Story, Part Twoby BethShelby

Since Lucille had gotten married at seventeen, she felt it was her duty to become the best wife a girl could possibly be. The first few weeks they lived with Glover’s parents, but they were anxious to have a home of their own.

Glover bought 15 acres of land on credit for $500. The land bordered the property that was owned by his father. It was probably the only thing my dad ever bought on credit. After the Great Depression, people weren’t inclined to trust banks, so a neighbor agreed to sell the land and hold the mortgage.

Glover’s father and some neighbors came together and started framing a house for the couple. Not wanting additional debts other than the land, the couple decided to only complete the two front rooms, leaving the other bedroom, a small bath area and the kitchen until they could afford to seal and finish the rooms later. They had no indoor plumbing or wiring and cooking was done on a small iron stove.

Lucille got busy turning the house into a home. In 1932 the US was just emerging from the Great Depression, and money was scarce. The first year, it was bitter cold. The new wood shrank, allowing snow to drift through the cracks in the unfinished walls. As soon as spring arrived, Lucille got busy creating a garden to supplement grocery expenses. She was energetic and enjoyed working and growing things outside. She planted flowers and trees to help landscape their humble abode.

Having been raised in a large family, she was eager to start her own, but Glover wasn’t interested in children and didn’t feel they could afford any right away. Although he loved her, she soon realized he had a quick temper and was easily irritated. He used swear-words she’d never heard from her father’s lips.

Each week the couple saved most of the meager salary Glover earned. Every time they accumulated $100, they converted it to a single bill and buried it in a fruit jar inside a small dirt-floor shed. At the end of the year, they had accumulated the $500 they needed to pay off the mortgage. Eager to own their property debt free, they dug up the money. They were horrified to see the money inside the damp jar was covered with a white mold. The bills were unreadable. They were sure the money was ruined. Fortunately, after a while the bills dried and they were able to blot the white mold away. They vowed they would never to go into debt again.

Lucille was outgoing and missed interacting with people other than her in-laws who lived nearby. She was thrilled after five years to learn she was pregnant. When the baby girl was born, she was ecstatic. In spite of thinking he didn’t want children, Glover was also excited by the new addition. He was proud to show me off as long as I was in a good mood. Once when I had colic, my dad headed for the woods. Mom wanted more children, but it never happened.

Lucille’s dad had passed away shortly after she got pregnant, leaving her mother alone. After the older Lay children got what they wanted from the home, Annie gave her two daughters the rest of her possessions. Lucille got the piano and loveseat. Unable to live alone without transportation, Annie moved from the house with only her clothes in a suitcase. She divided her time between her daughters, Lucille and Christine. She was with Lucille to help with the new baby. She stayed useful on her visits, and tried not to wear out her welcome by being too long in one place. Her two sons lived in Texas and Detroit. She visited them as well, but her visits were shorter and less frequent.

Lucille loved nursing her new baby and rocking her to sleep. Of course, I was the baby who got all of this attention. She started reading books and singing to me, before I was old enough to know what was going on. By the time I was two, she had me reciting little poems and showing off my skills like a trained monkey. She was convinced I was smarter than other children. My dad, on the other hand had me braying like a donkey. Mom taught me about God and heard my prayers every night. She took me on long walks and taught me about nature. She was my world, until I got old enough to realize she wasn’t perfect.

She insisted I take private piano and speech lessons, but wouldn’t let me take dancing lessons, which I would have preferred. She didn’t allow me to choose the clothes I wore, even when I started going to school. During my elementary years she was always a room mother. She came to school every Friday to read Bible stories to our class and made cookies for every party.

She embarrassed me by telling people about times I did stupid things, like thinking a praying mantis was a little green man, and crying when I learned the pretty rock I found was actually a turtle. She always fixed my hair the way she wanted it. She was so God conscious that she embarrassed me by trying to convert everyone. Since I had no siblings to share my concerns, I wondered if we were a normal family. When she changed her religious affiliation, there were certain things my friends were allowed to do, which Mom didn't permit me to do. This made me feel isolated and different from the other kids.

Mom was emotional and often overreacted to things. She laughed and cried easily. She and Dad were often at odds over little things. He was easily irritated, and he tried to control her. He would yell and curse and she would argue and cry, so those times kept me on edge.

Mom taught herself to drive and to type. One of her hobbies was knitting, and she insisted I wear the itchy knitted garments she made for me. She loved flowers and she made our home beautiful by planting flowers. She loved people and was always active.

After I married at eighteen, Mom decided she had had enough of being controlled by Dad. She left him and went to a college and quickly obtained her GED. She then enrolled in college courses, planning to become a teacher. Dad was devastated and begged her to come back home. He said he loved her and couldn’t live without her. He promised he would let her do anything she wanted to do. She gave in and returned and lived out the rest of her life with him. He did his best to treat her better.

She was the caregiver type. She took in Dad’s parents and his aunt, and became their fulltime caregiver. She visited people in nursing homes, bringing them treats. After Dad retired, she took care of all his needs as well. Mom died at eighty. She had a stroke and a heart attack while in the process of mowing their huge yard and making Dad’s lunch.

I loved her dearly and will always miss her, but she was always the mother figure, who thought she knew best and felt it her duty to tell me the things she didn’t approve of in my life. I was always trying to live up to her expectations. I wish we could have reached the stage of accepting each other as we were.