Reviews from

Pioneers of My People

Viewing comments for Chapter 19 "Lucille's Story"
Vignettes of my ancestors who made me who I am.

16 total reviews 
Comment from Mrs. KT
Excellent
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Hello, Beth!
I enjoyed reading about your mother and the beginnings of her married life.
Life surely was different back then! I cannot imagine giving birth to eleven children; that had to be a challenge.
Nor can I imagine being married while in high school.
You tell your grandmother's and mother's story with ease.
A fine and interesting offering. Looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you for sharing!
diane

 Comment Written 15-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 15-Oct-2022
    Thank you Diane, I appreciate the review and you nice comments. Life was very different in those days. Even when I was in highschool a lot of girls were married already. I got married at eighteen after one year of college but I did go on to finish college. The second part of my mom's story is posted already.
    Beth
Comment from zanya
Excellent
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An enjoyable read. Halfway through I began to wish for a sketch out of a family tree -it would make for a thoroughly great read - genealogy is so interesting as it carries so much social history alongside it

 Comment Written 15-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 15-Oct-2022
    Thank Zanya. I really appreciate the review and comments. You are correct. I do need to somehow have a scetch of the overall family tree. I would probably need to limit it to four of fiver generations to keep it from becomeing to extensives. I will try to do soon.
    Beth
Comment from SuzieWoo
Excellent
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This is really well written and although the biographies of people not known to me can sometimes leave me a little uninterested (sorry, can't think of a better way of putting that!), this one hooked me in with your straightforward and speedy way of writing and your great use of words. Maybe a little more detail in a few places to change the speed at times but otherwise I really enjoyed this.

 Comment Written 14-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 14-Oct-2022
    Thank you Suzie. I understand why most people wouldn't want to read about someone else's relative. I've been surpriseed to get as many rating as I do. I so glad you found something to like about it.
    Beth
Comment from Theodore McDowell
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Love the picture. Nothing like the backseat of a Model T, lol. She's an interesting character. I can't wait to see what happens with her. Well done and hope all is well.

 Comment Written 14-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 14-Oct-2022
    Thank you Ted for reading about my mom. She was a character and I miss her. She died in 1995,
    Beth
Comment from Judy Lawless
Excellent
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This was a really interesting chapter to read, Beth. It's nice that you know so much about the lives of your mother and father, so you can write this story. I smiled when I read your grandmother thought your mother should "set her cap" on Glover. These days, most girls would resist such a thing on principle. lol Well done. Thanks for sharing.

 Comment Written 13-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 13-Oct-2022
    Thank you Judy. I really apppreciate the review and I enjoyed you comments. I'm sure no one say "set you cap" for someone any more, but I heard that when I was young. It may be a southern saying.
    Beth
reply by Judy Lawless on 13-Oct-2022
    You're most welcome, Beth. I remember that saying from when I was a kid, so it wasn't just regional. Haven't heard it in years though. :)
Comment from Jannypan (Jan)
Excellent
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Thank you for sharing about your mother, Beth.
You gave readers so much information about the
family history. The picture was perfect. I got lost with
all the facts presented, though I know they were
important to the history. Your mother sounded like
a strong woman.
Thanks for sharing, Jan

 Comment Written 13-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 14-Oct-2022
    Thank you Jan. I guess with all those family members it was easy to get lost. It was hard for me to keep up with all those aunts and uncles too. I appreciate the review.
    Beth
Comment from Mary Kay Bonfante
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

This is a great piece of family history! You do know a lot about your mother, which I suppose is fairly normal, but what's really precious, is to write it down, as you are doing. I'm not sure why "obviously you know more about her," because your father outlived her, and you had more time with him during his last years.

Your mother was raised in a very large and busy household! I hope they had a big enough house for all those kids, because otherwise they'd be very crowded, as well.

My usual list of suggestions isn't that long. (You must have had others help along the way, or you went over it very closely.) Here they are:

By being a willing participate, ...
=>
By being a willing participant, ...

to keep her out of sight long enough to get her sober ...
=>
to keep her out of sight long enough to get her sober, ...

He told her he wanted her to move to Detroit after high-school ...
=>
He told her he wanted her to move to Detroit after high school ...

Eugene, who'd promised to pay her way through collage ...
=>
Eugene, who'd promised to pay her way through college, ...

Every since she'd driven through the state on the way to Detroit with her bother,
=>
Every since she'd driven through the state on the way to Detroit with her brother,

***

You have some eyebrow-raising tidbits in this story. Her half-brothers made poor little Lucille drink liquor, for their amusement! It must have been rather horrifying, to see the tiny tot staggering around. I hope they didn't give her moonshine.

This is the first time I've heard of a marriage being consummated in a car! It's too bad Lucille couldn't finish high school. I don't understand why, because she and Glover weren't moving to Knoxville -- unless she wanted to devote herself to being a full-time wife. Was it some kind of a rule, that married girls couldn't go to high school?

Your family was somewhat ahead of their time, having given serious consideration to a college education for your mother. But I guess marrying Glover was the more attractive choice, or just more economical, since her uncle, who would have sponsored her, was starting a family of his own.

It's surprising that you were an only child, since your mother was raised among so many other children.

 Comment Written 12-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 12-Oct-2022
    Thank you so much Mary Kay. I'm trying to be more careful when I have the time to reread, but I alway miss a few thing. I had more time with Mom growing up. She told all the stories I mentioned. I'll get into some things that happen after she and dad married in another chapter. I think girls in that day never stayed in school once they were married. I don't know if the school had the problem or if marriage was the ultimate goal for most them. My dad was an only child and he didn't think he wanted children. Mom did a miscarriage after me.
    Beth
reply by Mary Kay Bonfante on 14-Oct-2022
    You're very welcome, dear Beth. Thanks for addressing so many of my questions and concerns. So it was your father who influenced your family size more! I'm sorry that your mother miscarried in her second pregnancy, as otherwise you would have had a sibling.
    My parents had two children together, and probably would have had more, if they hadn't split up. My father remarried and had 3 more children with his second wife, but it was years later, and we didn't grow up with them, so I was much closer to my first brother, who died at the age of 44. It was in 2005, so I've had some time to adjust to his absence, but it was very hard for a while.
    While you didn't have siblings, I know your husband did, and then you went on to have a house full of children. God bless all of you.
    Love, Mary Kay xoxo
Comment from lyenochka
Excellent
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Oh, I'm so sorry for your mother. She probably was gifted like you and could have had a career if she wanted with a college degree which was rare for women back then. I guess your dad really wanted to marry her right then! I would have thought your grandparents would have asked until she graduated.
Comments:
By being a willing participate (participant)
move to Detroit for collage. (college)
Every since she'd driven (Ever)

 Comment Written 11-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 12-Oct-2022
    Thank you Helen. I think my grandmoter was also concerned about her son who wanted to send Mom to colletge. He had married and had a pregnant wife. He really was no longer able to afford the expense, although I'm sure he would have tried. Mom would have made a good teacher of maybe the medical field. She also excelled in business courses. I appreciate the review and help with the spags.
    Beth
Comment from royowen
Excellent
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There's one thing of knowing my mum and dad, there weren't others involved, so I know my full siblings. This is a much closer relationship to you than any of the others, one of those were your dad outlived your mum, which is less common. I like the consummation or their mother, I wonder how many relationship have been similarly done that way? Beautifully written Beth, blessings Roy

 Comment Written 11-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 12-Oct-2022
    Thank you for reading and commenting story. I'm glad you tread her story. There were times I failed to appreciate her as I should have but now I realize how fortunate i was to hav e a mother like her.
    Beth
reply by royowen on 12-Oct-2022
    You were indeed.
Comment from LJbutterfly
Excellent
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Reading episodes from your heritage, is like watching a televised documentary. You are fortunate to have so much detail on the lives of family members. Your writing brings out the drama, and makes the characters come alive. Each story is inspiring and compelling.

Note: By being a willing participate (a willing participant)

 Comment Written 11-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 12-Oct-2022
    Thank you so much for the lovely review. Your comments mean a lot to me.
    Beth