Monthly Archives: February 2003

Mr. an Mrs. Williams Mitchell

.

Audrey: I loved the Mitchell Maternity home. She was so friendly. She was a nurse. It was her own home. She only had one woman at a time, but sometimes, more than one woman. The doctor came. I think his name was Dr. Farrell. They (the nurse and the doctor) were all there right together in Crompton. One time they had to make me wait for the doctor. I was so mad.

Audrey: Crystal and the older ones were born at Lying-In Hospital in Providence. The cost was $65.00 a delivery. It was a baby place. Whether or not it was hitched to the hospital, I can’t remember.

It’s a nice day today. The sun is shining! I just rest. Get up and read. I eat very good! I wasn’t a big eater. I’d eat what was put before me! I loved red beets. I was a pretty good eater. Mother made good slumps. I loved her blueberry slump. She made vegetable soups with slumps. The rest of my life, I tried to make them like she did.

Unknown Friend on left with Audrey Mae Spencer on the right

Audrey: I can’t remember working in the kitchen with mother. I was the only one there. I was a child. I liked raw potatoes dipped in vinegar. I would just sit around coloring. Every Christmas I got a new batch of crayons and a coloring book. I had to make it last a whole year.

I had a nice childhood on the farm. I had to entertain myself. I would play with Elsie Miller. Every once in a while, my Mother would visit her Mother. Elsie and I would run around the stonewall of historical cemetery No. 9. We had sticks that we pretended were guns. We’d shoot the cow flops and pretend they were soldiers.

Audrey: I went to Spencer’s place. I rode around doing everything. Brenda’s doing better.

Audrey’s mother MaryJane Vaughn Spencer and Audrey’s brother John Edward Spencer

Audrey: I’m going along fine. I’m tired and weak all the time. My legs hate to move. I’d rather be in bed than anywhere else. I’m tired all the time. I can’t do too much. It is just a relief to sit down. I can’t do much of anything anymore. Uncle Ed, (John Edward Spencer) he used a walker (when he was older) and then at the end (of his life) sat in a wheelchair. Edith sent him the wheelchair. Uncle Ed (at the end of his life) did a lot of crying every time anybody went near him, he would cry. My father lived with us at (420 East Greenwich Avenue) and he couldn’t get around too good. He didn’t walk too much. He got up and dressed up every day!

Tall man unknown and John Johnson Spencer

Audrey: John Johnson Spencer, my grandfather, walked and got along. He died in our house at 742 Washington St., Coventry. My father bought the house in Coventry when he sold the Spencer homestead on Middle Road in East Greenwich. I was twelve years old when we moved from the farm.

*Grandpa is Wm. J.B. Spencer, Audrey’s father.

Audrey Mae MacDonald and Spencer Kent MacDonald

Audrey: When I lived there I used to wheel Spencer up and down across the street, as there was cement (a side walk)across the street from the Washington house.

Audrey: Crystal gets me books at the library. I am waiting for Amber to come and cut my hair and Dawn said she would stop.

MaryJane Vaughn Spencer and William J.B. Spencer at their home at 742 Washington Street, Coventry, Rhode Island

John Edward Spencer

Audrey: Yes, this is the first snow like this since I was a little child. It’s the first bad snow storm since I’ve grown up. The snow is twelve inches high next to the wall, but the streets are all right. Ernie shoveled by the door and Buddy went out and got stuck—he hopped and wiggled a little. (Laughter)

When we lived on the farm, we had to shovel a path to the outhouse. When we moved to Anthony (742 Washington St. in Coventry), we had a bathroom in the house! I was twelve years old and I moved from the country to the town! The Anthony house had one acre of land, I think. We had a garage, a barn, a hen yard and little building and shops. Spencer was a baby then and I can remember uncle Ed come down and took a bath and steam would come out of the bathroom.

Mother, she never would run down anybody. Mother was a very peaceful person. She, unfortunately, let everybody run all over her. She was a quiet woman, never opened her mouth. She liked to be called MaryJane, not Mary or Jane. She was a sweet, gentle person who was friends with all ladies around, even Annie Mertz and Lizzie.

Now Father was quiet but stern. Nobody got away with anything. He led a quiet life. He joined the Sons of Veterans and was busy doing things with Freddie Arnold. I never heard him holler at anybody. He had a nice quiet life. Once a week he played cards. He would milk the cow every day and a Mr. Smith came daily to get a quart of milk. They would talk for about an hour.

As for me, when I was a child, I would sit there and draw from the funnies in the newspaper. I drew Lillie the toiler*. She was so pretty.

Audrey: When are you coming out here again?

(Heather: I plan to be in R.I., for your birthday, March 19th.)

* (Crystal’s explanation of Tillie the Toiler: Tilly the Toiler is the name of the lady that Mom designed outfits for. She  found Tilly in a magazine or newspaper.  It may have been an advertisement for ladies clothes or a cartoon. I’m not aware of any paper or magazine around in 1924 to validate where Tilly the Toiler came from.)