Audrey: I know quite a few of the birds. I can see three or four squirrels playing on a tree. They run up and down. They run up and down on the rock. Now they are all pulling on a blue piece of cloth. They are having a great time on the tree. The blue thing is not a cloth. It is an oblong stiff thing. There is a bird on the ground, a black and gray one.
Vivian, she is gone (not my roommate anymore). She comes and goes. I see her in the hall.
Student at the
Rhode Island School of Design (U.S.A)
During the Great Depression
Audrey Mae Spencer (1912-2007)
Compilation and Foreword by Heather D. MacDonald
Edited by Carola M. Kaplan
Welcome to the website that celebrates the life of Audrey Mae (née Spencer) MacDonald, an unknown woman artist of the 30s. This website, Glimpses of the Past: Morning Conversations with Audrey Mae, is the current version of a previously published book in 2004. Both book and website developed as a result of Heather MacDonald’s note taking of weekly conversations with her mother, Audrey Mae (née Spencer) MacDonald. Audrey was approaching her 90th birthday when Heather began this note taking that resulted in the previous book publication as well as this website.
The time frame for the initial conversations with Audrey was from June 12th, 2002 through September 4th, 2004. On October 3rd, 2004, a gathering of friends and family was held at Alpine to celebrate the book publication of Glimpses of the Past: Morning Conversations with AudreyMae.
The time frame for the SequeltoGlimpsesof the Past:… was from September 11, 2004 until March 11, 2007 when Audrey just shy of 95 years died.
Heather, who lives in California, is Audrey’s fifth child. Audrey lived her nearly 95 years in Rhode Island, never physically moving far from her ancestors homestead in the East Greenwich area. Heather depended on the phone conversations to keep the relationship current with her mother. The weekly dialogues were filled with (1) Audrey’s love of books, (2) her recollections of the neighborhood church’s programs in her early upbringing, (3) her interest in her ancestry, (4) her ability to recite from memory many classical pieces of literature and (5) numerous other events that confirm the highly intelligent and creative woman Audrey came to be.
Through these conversations, Heather realized the pride her mother had in her Rhode Island Yankee ancestry. This sense of pride helped to sustain her throughout her life. However, equally important to this sense of pride was a sense of responsibility to impart this knowledge to future generations. Audrey wanted her children to know and to appreciate the strengths and struggles of the ancestors and how they lived and endured in colonial New England since the 1600s.
Audrey is the link that connects the colonial horse and buggy days to the modern world. Without Audrey, our knowledge of the history of the every day life in colonial New England could have died out. Today, none of the descendents live the agrarian life.
Over the 47 years that Heather would return home to visit her family in Rhode Island, her mother would often give Heather samples of (1) her artwork, (2) her writings, (3) maps of our historical cemeteries, (4) letters and documents in Olde English, etc. Much of Audrey’s writings included descriptions of our colonial ancestors and their life on the family homestead in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. She also gave to Heather the material that she created for the teaching environment. Memorabilia was very important to Audrey and she would ask Heather to keep these pieces safe for posterity.
Heather was college educated by age 22 with a Bachelors Degree in Christian Education and a Liberal Arts curriculum. Audrey knew that Heather saw the value in all the research and unending hours of Audrey’s work on her family genealogy. Audrey’s dream was to have someone continue to disseminate this rich history. She would often give Heather, and other family members, old documents and other archival material. This and other websites carries on Audrey’s dream.
Heather is indebted to her sister, Deardra MacDonald, a Temple University graduate and Audrey’s sixth child. Deardra instigated this website entry of Audrey’s work and she scanned in the entire publication of Glimpses of the Past: Morning Conversations with Audrey into this site, audreymaespencer.com. Deardra wanted to present this website as a commemoration of her mother, Audrey Mae (née Spencer) MacDonald, who was a woman before her times.
Heather is also indebted to grand-nephew, Brian Blanchette, Jr., a student at the New England Institute of Technology, for introducing Heather to the advantages, disadvantages, possibilities, as well as the numerous steps needed in the setting up, of web pages.
This website, as well as the previously published book by the same name, is the result of Audrey Mae (née Spencer) MacDonald’s endeavor and her desire to keep the Spencer, Vaughn, Matteson and Greene history alive for all future generations.
BIOGRAPHY
The biography tab gives us a brief biography of Audrey Mae’s life.
CONVERSATIONS
Recorded from weekly conversations and regular visits from 6-12-2002 to Audrey’s death 3-11-2007, the CONVERSATIONS tab includes the completed copy of the original book publication Glimpses of the Past:Morning Conversations with Audrey and the Sequel to Glimpses of the Past:Morning Conversations with Audrey. If you want to read about one category or subject, such as Colonial Ancestors, click on that subject title located under CATEGORIES. All category listing subject titles are located to the right on every page of this website. Some of the categories are:
Art and writing creativity
Colonial ancestors
Courtship, marriage and home making
Life as a RISD student
Life at Alpine
Life at Crystal and Dawn’s
Life in Anthony (Coventry) RI
Lifelong love of learning
Life on the Farm
Married life with seven children
Also under the Conversations tab is the Dedication, Foreword, Afterword, Glossary, Footnotes and Appendix as well as the “Sequel to Glimpses of the Past: Morning Conversation with Audrey”.
ART WORK
The Art Work tab includes numerous pieces of Audrey Mae’s art work as a child, a teenager, a RISD student and afterward.
GIFT SHOP
The Gift Shop consists of replicas of Audrey’s art work on note cards, stationery, place-mats, framed pieces and other creations for purchase through the family business, Audrey Mae Designs. Gift shop to be opened at a later date. Date not yet established.
Audrey Mae (Spencer) MacDonald, 2001, at daughter, Deardra’s home
Brief Biography of Audrey’s Life
Audrey Mae Spencer was born on March 19, 1912 at the Spencer Homestead on Middle Road, just east of the Spencer Family Historical Cemetery(No. 9), in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. She was the third child of Mary Jane Vaughn and William J.B. Spencer. Audrey had an older sister, Edith Anna, and an older brother, John Edward Spencer.
Audrey was named after her great, great, great, great, great, great, great (7 times) grandmother Audrey Green who married John Spencer, the son of Susannah Griffin and John Spencer (who was granted land by the King of England when East Greenwich was incorporated in 1647).
Audrey was accepted to the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, R.I. for the incoming class of 1931 and completed three years of work in the graphic design department. Being accepted into such a prestigious program on a full scholarship was quite a feat for a farmer’s daughter during The Great Depression. Since all the other students at R.I.S.D. were city people, being a farmer’s daughter made Audrey quite a unique student. One of Audrey’s instructors, Elise Gardiner, a well-known artist and teacher, who saved one art piece from each of her students, asked for and saved Audrey’s drawing of a sleeping calf. Since all the students were city dwellers, Audrey’s drawing of an animal in a rural setting was unusual.
While a student at R.I.S.D., she met a young man, Milton Earl MacDonald, at a neighborhood dance. Milton was a fine dresser, an accomplished guitarist, a fine dancer, and the best pool shark in the county.
Milton was the sixth child of Annie Walton and Joseph MacDonald of Scituate, Rhode Island. The name Mac means “son of”. Therefore, Milton was a descendent of the Donald Clan in Scotland. The Donald clan is the strongest and largest of all the Scots clans. Their ancestral home on the Isle of Skye (off the Scotland mainland) and this land will remain in perpetuity as the ancestral land of Clan Donald.
Milton and Audrey’s wedding was held at Audrey’s home, 742 Washington Street, Coventry, Rhode Island, with the well-loved and respected Rev. Mr. Buecker officiating. Audrey was the last of the Spencer ancestors in Rhode Island, since the mid 1600s, to be married at home; future marriages would be held at churches. Beginning in the 1930s, it was no longer fashionable to have weddings at home. Marriage ceremonies became a church function in the church buildings.
Audrey, like most women of that time in history, married and raised her children and never returned to complete her studies at the R.I. School of Design and never pursued her professional career goal of being a graphic artist.
(1975) Spencer Kent, Dawn Brooks, Douglas Winston, Milton Earl, Crystal Gay, Audrey Mae, Heather Dale, Deardra Dell, and Vaughn Ray
Audrey and Milton raised seven children, Spencer Kent, Dawn Brooks, Douglas Winston, Crystal Gay, Heather Dale, Deardra Dell and Vaughn Ray. Their first home, built by Audrey’s father, was a small house on Seven Mile Road in Scituate. Later, they moved back to her family home on 742 Washington Street in Coventry. In 1943, they purchased a larger house on East Greenwich Avenue in West Warwick, Rhode Island, and moved in when Heather was nine months old and Audrey was pregnant with Deardra.
Audrey’s first four children were born at the Lying Inn Hospital in Providence and the last three were born at Mitchell’s Maternity Home on 45 Read Avenue in West Warwick.
Milton’s trades were welding and lace weaving. He was highly accomplished at both. During World War II, he worked long, labor intensive double shifts welding Liberty Ships at Walsh-Kaiser Company Shipyard in Providence, RI. The shipyard was working around-the-clock building the ships that carried cargo and troops to Europe. On November 21, 1943, he was promoted to the position of Pipe Welder leads-man with the responsibility of leadership and supervision of a group of eight to ten men. After the war, he mastered the three-year apprenticeship in lace-weaving to become a highly skilled lace weaver. When a lace weaving machine from Germany took the place of eight men, Milton returned to welding. In 1958 he began his work at General Dynamics where he welded submarines for the government. The last few years he was an inspector charged with ensuring that the work being done by Electric Boat would be approved by the Navy allowing the submarine to be launched. He retired at welding-master level, from General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, in 1980.
Although never returning to her academic studies in the formal sense and never beginning a professional career in graphic design, Audrey used her creative and artistic talents with her seven children and as a homemaker—drawing flowers on bureaus, on walls (before it was fashionable as it is today), drawing her children’s pictures on scarves, designing place mats, etc. Many of her children write poetry, draw, and have that creative bent. Her youngest daughter, Deardra, excels in home design and decor.
Milton, born in 1915, died on November 22nd, 1995. Audrey, 92, born in 1912, is now a resident at Alpine Nursing Home in Coventry, RI. After giving up housekeeping at her West Warwick home, Audrey enjoyed living with her daughters whose homes were only a couple miles apart. Most weeks she would spend her three day weekend with Dawn’s family and spend her four day weekdays with Crystal’s family. She would enjoy the two mile “traveling” back and forth between her daughters’ homes. She also spent time with her daughter Deardra’s family and the families of her sons,Vaughn and Spencer. In addition, daughter Heather and son Douglas would often come from out of state and take Audrey on day trips. She loved going places, activities from checking the upkeep of the historical cemeteries, visiting cousins and DAR members, trips to museums, family reunions at granddaughter Amber’s home, July 4th activities…
[Update information from the initial hard copy publishing date of 2004: On December 5, 2004 Audrey moved from Alpine Nursing Home to Kent Regency Nursing Home in Warwick, R.I. and died on March 11, 2007, just shy of her 95th birthday.]
In compiling these interviews, I understood for the first time why Mother was so interested in our New England history, even though I and her other children, who were busy with their own work and family life, were not particularly interested. This colonial history meant everything to her. This was her reason for being. To my surprise, I find myself working to preserve and pass down the legacy that Audrey handed me. With this website as a base my hope is that other family members will continue the work preserving this legacy. May this Yankee strength live on in all of us!
Audrey Mae’s grandfather and Audrey Mae’s great-granddaughter
Audrey Mae’s grandfather, John Johnson (aka “Ace”) Spencer, brought his own horse with him when he enlisted in Lt. Greene’s Co., 1st Reg’t New England Cavalry of the American Civil War. He obviously was an excellent horseman growing up on one of the Spencer farms because his rank as Private in the Civil War included his classifications as Farrier, Teamster and Blacksmith. Audrey Mae’s great-granddaughter, Jessica, a university student, following in the Spencer tradition, is also and excellent rider.
Historical Cemeteries in the East Greenwich Area of Rhode Island
Audrey Mae’s Ancestral Lineage
(1600 – 1900)
Information on the Spencer, Vaughn, Greene, Matteson … historical cemeteries in the East Greenwich area of Rhode Island is not yet completed. Audrey’s great grandson, Brian Blanchette, Jr. is the web designer for the information on Audrey’s ancestral historical cemeteries.
Spencer's Historical Cemetery on Middle Road in East Greenwich, Rhode Island
Audrey Mae Spencer MacDonald’s Recollections and Comments
Audrey Mae Spencer
Born March 19th, 1912
A New England Farmer’s Daughter
Student at the
Rhode Island School of Design (U.S.A.)
During the Great Depression
SECTION I: Student at RISD, registered during the week of 9-14-1931
Description of Art Pieces completed while at RISD
“Putting Stories to the Pictures”:
Drape, Jug and Paint Can
Oil painting on rolled canvas—22inches by 18 1/2 inches Framed
“This oil painting has depth and makes me feel like I could reach into it. I love to do draperies. This was done at the Rhode Island School of Design. My teacher was a tall, thin man whose name was John Frasier.”
Drape, Jug, Dish and Apple
Oil painting on rolled canvas—22 inches by 18 1/2 inches Framed
“I was pleased with the drapes, however, I feel the apple should be further down in the left bottom corner, not touching the dish. The apple in this oil is very good…”
Squash, Peppers on Table Top
(Restoration by Artist Trait Fine Art Gallery, Claremont, CA.)
Oil on canvas—14 ½ inches by 10 ½ inches—unframed
Drape, Wine Bottle, Pottery and Apple
Oil painting on cardboard material—20 inches by 24 ½ inches—framed
“I’m not pleased with this picture. The teacher made us paint whatever he had set up. I did not like this arrangement.”
Blue Tea Pot, Red Flower with Green Leaves
Watercolor—16 inches by 13 ½ inches—Framed
“This is a watercolor; Miss Gardner was my teacher. She was the best teacher I ever had in all my life. I had many good teachers but she topped them all. She was a tall elderly lady with white hair pulled back in a bun. She always kept one painting of her pupils. The picture she kept of mine was of uncle Ed’s baby calf curled up asleep at his farm.”
Matching Set of Two:
1) Violets, Purple and Green Leaves
Watercolor on construction paper—6 ¾ inches by 5 inches
2) Two Carnations and Green Leaves and Stalk
Watercolor on construction paper—7 inches by 5 inches
Paint Brushes on a Windowsill
Pencil/Charcoal on cardboard paper*—14 ½ inches by 11 inches
“If you are an artist or would like to be one, you will need brushes and a place to put them. This is how I stored my brushes, so be creative and find great jars to put them in.”
Vase with Flowers on Windowsill
Pencil, black and white, on paper—8 ¼ inches by 6 ¾ inches
Dog with Orange Frame
Watercolor on irregular shape type of construction paper—6 ½ inches by 7 inches
“This was my brother Ed’s dog. The dog’s name was Peter, he was a big fellow and very smart. He lived on the farm in Connecticut. He was very protective of my children, and would follow them everywhere they went.”
Plants at Grandma Spencer’s
Charcoal, black and white, on heavy cardboard—11 ¼ by 9 inches
“Drawing in the evening, dark outside… These plants were in my mother’s kitchen. They sat next to my mother’s old fashion open washing machine. As a result, they received a lot of moisture. They were always so green and looked so beautiful.”
Potted Plants at Grandma Spencer’s House (nearly identical to prior entry)
Plant was in my mother’s kitchen. The plant sat next to my mother’s old fashion open washing machine.
Apple, Cheese with Knife
Watercolor, black and white, on cardboard—7 ¼ inches by 11 ¼ inches
“This is my own advertisement showing a display of how well cheese goes with apples.”
Two Apples
Charcoal, black and white, on light, cardboard paper—13 inches by 10 inches
“This is one of my charcoal drawings. Apples are my favorite; eat one everyday for good health.”
Apples and Oranges and Grandma Spencer’s Dish
Charcoal/Pencil on heavy paper—13 inches by 10 inches
“My mother had this dish always filled with oranges. All were welcome to take one.
Tea Pot, Pitcher, Pottery and Fruit
Charcoal, black and white, on heavy paper—10 inches by 13 inches
“This is a still life lithograph. Students had to buy their own material. I was always at the school store; it was located in the lower level of one of the buildings. I did not work part time while I was a student; my father paid for all my expenses. In my day students did not work while they were at school.”
Head of a Roman Boy
Clay sculpture
Charcoal Drawing
Pencil, black and white, on paper–11 inches by 8 inches
“This is my charcoal drawing of a green pepper and orange squash next to an old beer bottle. As a little boy, my father used to fill these bottles for a penny a bottle.”
John Williams Co.—Jewelry Diamonds
Ink, black and white, on heavy paper—13 ¼ inches by 10 inches
“Graphic Art was my thing. This is a layout to advertise diamonds. We chose our own topic, and mine was diamonds.”
Perfume Bottle, Book and Shoes
Black and White on Cardboard Paper–11 ¼ inches by 14 ¼ inches
“These are examples of my advertisement, using different lines in the design. Graphic Art was considered the highest paying profession of all the Arts. Likewise, it was also the most competitive field to go into.”
Lion Statue at R.I.S.D
Pencil, black and white, on cardboard paper—11 ½ by 9 1/2
Vase and Animal Statue at R.I.S.D.
Pencil, black and white, on heavy paper—14 inches by 10 inches
I’ll Get That Flee Yet
Pencil—black and white—on paper*, 6 ¾ inches by 8 1/3 inches
Matching Set of Two:
1) Red Rose with Green Leaves and Stem
Colored Pencils on Construction Paper—8 ½ inches by 5 inches unframed
2) Yellow Lilies with Green Leaves and Stem
Colored Pencils on Construction Paper—8 ½ inches by 5 inches unframed
Four Models
Following are “drawing using real live models. They would pose for a while, then rest for a while. Each model had their own specific time of how long they would pose before they rested. The women wore nothing, and the men wore only a G-string. Each class lasted all day. We would start drawing around 9:00 and finish around 2:00 in the afternoon.”
1) Nude Model
Pencil on heavy paper—18 inches by 12 inches
“The model would pose nude. When we finished our drawing the model would dress into an outfit, and we would finish the class by drawing her fully dressed.”
2) Fully Dressed Model, same model and pose
Pencil and water color, black and white, on heavy cardboard—22 inches by 14 inches
3) Male Model
Pencil on thin damaged paper—12 inches by 18 inches
“This is the male model who first posed nude. After we finished the nude drawing he got dressed. Our assignment was to sketch his suit and made it transparent over his nude body, plus his hat.”
4) Female Model
Pencil and watercolors, black and white, on frail paper—19 by 12 ½ inches
“This is a live model dressed in an elegant one piece sheer undergarment. The models were generally very sweet and nice people. During their period they walked around with their robes on and talked to the students. Models were generally between 20 and 30 years old.” This drawing has “Audrey Spencer – Graphics Junior” written on the top right of the page.
Coquette–Dorothy Pierson’s Legs
Pencil sketch on paper*—8 1/3 inches by 6 ¾ inches
Matching Set of Two:
1) Hen
Pencil/Charcoal, black and white—5 inches by 5 3/4 inches-Framed
2) Lamp and Shade
Pencil/Charcoal, black and white—5 inches by 5 ¼ inches-Framed
“These are designs we had to make up from our imagination. It was fun to do my own design.”
Tree on Hill, pink, blue, yellow and white sky
Watercolor on heavy paper—10 inches by 14 inches
Matching Set of Three:
1) Fruit basket—4 inches by 4 ½ inches
Pencil/Charcoal, black and white
“My own black and white design.”
2) Design—4 ¼ inches by 4 ¾ inches
Pencil/Charcoal, black and white
“My own black and white design.”
3) Bird—4 ¾ inches by 4 ¼ inches
Pencil/Charcoal, black and white
“My own black and white design.”
Leaves of Changing Colors
Watercolors on paper—11 inches by 17 inches
“While riding the train to the School of Design, I would past by these trees with all that color. Just seeing these trees with leaves of changing colors gave me the idea for my next RISD project which was this colorful autumn scene. ”
Statue of a Girl at RISD
Charcoal/Pencil, black and white, on heavy paper—13 inches by 9 ¼ inches
Trees, Fence
Pencil/Charcoal on heavy paper—9 inches by 12 inches
Audrey’s High Heel Shoes
Charcoal, black and white, on heavy paper—10 inches by 14 inches
“These are the shoes I wore to the School of Design. One day I was walking to the bus and stopped at a dime store; the floor was wet and I slipped and fell. The store clerk was so upset, but I told him I was OK and left.”
Audrey’s White High Heel Shoes and Pearls in her Jewelry Box
Charcoal/Pencil, black and white, on heavy paper—12 ½ inches by 9 inches
Baby Cradle in R.I.S.D Antique Department
Sketch, black and white on heavy paper—9 inches by 11 ¾ inches
Straight Back Chair in Corner of Room
Pencil/Charcoal on heavy paper—14 inches by 10 inches
Furniture at R.I.S.D
Pencil Sketch, black and white on cardboard paper—14 inches by 10 inches
Stairs, Hallway, Door
Pencil, black and white, on construction paper—10 inches by 7 inches
“This is my home at 742 Washington Street, Coventry, R.I.”
Ginnie
Pencil, black and white, on paper*—8 1/3 inches by 6 ¾ inches
“I drew this picture when Ginnie came to Rhode Island.”
MaryJane Sleeping
Pencil, black and white, on paper*—8 1/3 inches by 6 ¾
“I was always sketching my mother because she was at home with me.
MaryJane Reading
Pencil, black and white, on paper*—8 ½ inches by 6 ¾ inches
“My mother would read while she was cooking. This is a sketch of my mother reading; she would generally read from her rocking chair in the kitchen. She would read until my father came home. When she heard him coming she would jump up, put her book away and set the table. She got most of her books from the church library. She had beautiful book markers.”
MaryJane
Pencil sketch
“My mother was my best subject. She was always there when I wanted someone to sketch.”
MaryJane and AnnaJane
Pencil, black and white
“My mother curled AnnaJane’s hair every day.”
Child with Curls, Facing Back
Pencil, black and white, on construction paper—10 inches by 7 1/3 inches
AnnaJane Reading
Pencil, black and white, on heavy paper—14 inches by 10 inches
“This was an easy one. AnnaJane was so interested in her book that she did not know that I was sketching her. This was sketched in my mother’s living room. This window faced the front yard.”
AnnaJane With Her Hands Behind Her Back
Pencil, black and white, on heavy paper—10 inches by 14 inches
“AnnaJane was very happy to be my model for this pose. She was quite this little actress. For this pose it probably only took me a few minutes to do.”
Lillie White’s Party
Pencil, black and white, on irregular shaped paper*—5 inches by 6 ¾ inches
“This is a phrase used long ago that my neighbor told me about. When a child falls asleep, you don’t say she is taking a nap; you say she is at “Lillie White’s Party”. To this, I do not really know how this phrase came about….”
Side View
“This is a picture of AnnaJane, my brother Ed’s daughter. She was about five years old when I sketched this side view. She was a good little kid. Anna had just woken from a nap, so she still looks a little sober, and posing was not the happiest thing she cared to do at that time.”
Betty on Straight Back Chair
Pencil, black and white, on paper—8 1/3 inches by 6 1/3 inches
“This is Betty our family dog. She was considered a member of the family, just like a sister. My mother bought new sheets for our beds, and when we went to bed, Betty had gotten into both beds. Every time my mother went upstairs, Betty was cuddled in the new sheets with her head on the pillow.
Matching Set of Four:
1) ANNA
Pencil, black and white, on grainy, paper cloth—10 ¼ inches by 9 inches
This is a sketch of AnnaJane about to become a young lady. She was very happy to pose for this picture because she looked so lovely.”
2) BETTY
Pencil, black and white, on grainy, paper cloth—10 ¼ inches by 9 inches
“This is Betty, our family dog…”
3) WHEETE
Pencil, black and white, on grainy, paper cloth—10 ¼ inches by 9 inches
4) QUEENE
Pencil, black and white, on grainy, paper cloth—10 inches by 8 ½ inches
Horse’s Head
Pencil, black and white, on oval cut out paper—8 inches by 6 ½ inches
(Drawing of Crystal, as a child, is on other side of this cut out paper.)
Matching Set of Three:
1) Jerry, the Work Horse
Pencil, black and white, on cardboard paper—9 ¾ inches by 8 inches
2) Polly, the Parrot
Pencil, black and white, on cardboard paper—12 inches by 9 inches
3) Billy, the Goat
Pencil, black and white, on cardboard paper—9 inches by 12 inches
Matching Set of Two:
1) Face of Cat and Two Front Paws on Furniture
&
2) Cat Lying on Side on Furniture
Pencil/charcoal on one sheet of paper* using both sides—6 ¾ by 8 1/3 inches
Mother Cat and Two Kittens
Black Marker/Pen on yellow construction paper, irregular cut—5 ¾ by 6 inches
Matching Set of Four:
1) Sketch of W.J.B. Spencer and Milton
Pencil, black and white, on paper*– @ 8 inches by 6 inches
“My father was reading the newspaper, and I do not think he knew I was drawing his picture. I am pretty sure Milton did not know I was drawing him.”
2) Side View Sketch of Milton’s Face
&
3) Milton with Pencil over Ear
Pencil, black and white, on one sheet of paper* using both sides—8 ¼ by 6 ¾ inches
“…reading and studying the papers…”
4) Milton on Couch
Pencil, black and white, on paper*—8 ¼ inches by 6 ¾ inches
“Milton was sitting on my mother’s living room couch getting his wallet in order. I have to chuckle and say, I don’t think it was loaded with money. Milton had enough, he would always take me dancing or to a movie and go out to eat. For 50¢ we could go to the movies and have a hot dog and coffee each.”
Self Portrait of Audrey, 1932 Pencil, black and white, on thick paper—6 inches by 4 inches
SECTION II: Audrey’s Sketches
Description of Art Pieces
“Putting Stories to the Pictures”:
1) Three Sleeping Cats
&
2) Face of Angry Dog
Pencil, black and white, on one sheet of paper* using both sides—8 1/3 by 6 ¾
3) Cat Drinking and Two Cats Eating from Same Dish
&
4) Dog’s Head Looking back right and Cat Drinking (top of page)
Pencil, black and white, on one sheet of paper* using both sides 8 1/3 by 6 ¾ inches
5) Sketches of Three Dog Faces and Dog Paws
Pencil, black and white, on paper*–8 1/3 inches by 6 ¾ inches
6) Multiple Sketches of Dogs
Pencil, black and white, on paper*–8 1/3 inches by 6 ¾ inches
7) Dog and Cat Face and Dog in Center
Pencil, black and white, on paper*–8 1/3 inches by 6 ¾ inches
8) Cat, House, Hens, Cat sleeping and Chickens
&
9) Wheete, the Cat, and Two Mice
Pencil, black and white, on one sheet of heavy paper using both sides—12 by 9inches
10) Cats Resting on Chair etc.
Pencil, black and white, on heavy paper—12 inches by 9 inches
Three Patterns
Dog–11 inches by 7 inches
Horse–10 ½ by 8 ½ inches
Tree–9 ½ by 8 inches
Five Pages of Birds
Separate Pencil Sketching, averaging 4 inches by 5 inches
SECTION III: Family Life of Audrey and Milton
Description of Art Pieces
“Putting Stories to the Pictures”:
Milton
Pencil, black and white, on paper with backing—7 inches by 5 inches
“This is Milton practicing his guitar in mother’s living room. Mother always said she really enjoyed listening to him. He would practice for hours in the evenings and weekends.”
Spencer, as a Child
Pencil, black and white, on thin paper—7 inches by 5 ½ inches
Spencer, Cap with Ear Muffs
Pencil, black and white, on paper—7 inches by 5 1/3 inches
School Kid-O-Grams, Spencer and Friend and AnnaJane and Friends
News article, The Evening Bulletin
Dawn, as a Child
Pencil, black and white, on cardboard—9 inches by 8 inches
“This is a picture of Dawn fast asleep. She fell asleep after playing house and still had my lipstick on. She was a beautiful and good little child. She had to keep up with her brother Spencer. When Spencer got a shot at the doctors, she immediately held out her arm to get hers. The nurses smiled because she did not cry.”
Dawn and Julio
Pencil, black and white, on paper—10 ¾ inches by 8 inches
Douglas, as a Child
Pencil, black and white, on thin paper—8 ½ inches by 5 ½ inches
“He was a quiet little boy. He loved to work on puzzles, and when he would finish a puzzle he would walk away. And when he was not looking would undo the puzzle. When he came back, he would start right in and redo the puzzle, without saying a word. This would go on all day.”
Douglas, surrounded by pictures of his family
“This drawing is not a portrait; it is a cartoon of Douglas….”
Crystal, as a Child
Pencil, black and white, on paper—8 inches by 6 ½ inches
“Crystal did not have to pose for this; I did this sketch while she was running around. Crystal was a busy body, there was not a drawer or closet that she had not investigated. She never stopped. She always managed to do what she wanted to in one way or another. With Heather and Deardra reluctantly following behind, Crystal led them into all sorts of mischief.
Heather
Pencil, black and white, on paper—7 inches by 6 inches
(Audrey drew this from memory and photo when Audrey was in her late 80s.)
“Heather was my angelic little girl. Following Crystal was very difficult for her, but being the younger sister, she went hesitantly along. This picture was taken in my East Greenwich Avenue home. The girls were looking up to the leaves I had painted as a border in my living room. I loved the picture of much of Heather that I made this sketch of her.”
Deardra
Pencil, black and white, on paper—10 inches by 7 inches
(Audrey drew this from memory and photo when Audrey was in her late 80s.)
“Deardra being the little girl, she followed along after Crystal and Heather. However, her mind was always very active concerning the things she wanted to do. She always had a few tricks up her sleeve, and managed to achieve what she wanted without being noticed. Deardra was a little actress; she would pose for every picture that was taken of her.”
Vaughn
Pencil, black and white, on paper—8 inches by 6 inches
(Audrey drew this form memory and photo when Audrey was in her late 80s.)
“Vaughn the omega of the lot; my last baby. He had four older sisters to put up with, which was not an easy ordeal. He was always on the go with Dick Campbell selling apples, eggs, etc. His favorite outing with Dick was to go quahaughing at the shore. He loved Aunt Jeanie, Dick’s mother, and played over her house a lot. He managed to grow the tallest of the whole bunch.”
Dawn
Sketched on cloth scarf—9 inches by 7 inches
Heather
Sketched on cloth scarf—8 ½ by 7 ½
Cartoons of Life on East Greenwich Avenue
Two Pencil, black and white, on white bond paper pasted to black construction paper
9 inches by 12 inches
Belinda Sleeping
Pencil, paper picture glued to cardboard—8 ½ inches by 11 inches
Martin
Placemat
“I always made them as beautiful as I could….”
Lisa
Colored Ink Pencil, 5 inches by 6 inches
Julie
Colored Ink Pencil, 4 inches by 6 inches
Holiday Christmas Scenes:
1) Deer, Trees and Snow–Framed
2) Snow Man and Tree
Tri-Chem paints, red, white & green on red cloth placemat, 12 inches by 17 ½ inches
3) Snow Man and Tree – unfinished
Tri-Chem paints, white on green cloth placemat, 12 inches by 17 ½ inches
4) Red Flowers on Blue Backing
Tri-Chem Paints, multi colors on cloth placemat, 13 inches by 18 ½ inches
5) Santa Clause, Sleigh and Reindeers
Tri-Chem paints, multi colors on irregular cut black cloth, 18 inches by 12 ½ inches
6) Snow Man Holding Broom, Trees with Snow
Tri-Chem paints, multi colored, on red cloth, 12 inches by 12 inches
7) Deer, Snow, Trees, Sky
Tri-Chem Paints, multi colors, oval cut of cloth, 9 ½ by 8 inches
8) White Bird and Green Backing–Framed
Red Flower with Green Leaves and Border
Felt Cloth
Illustration on Cover of “Poems by Alice Firby Rhodes”
Rural Settings of Birds, Trees, Flowers, Rocks, etc.
Pen on green thick cover paper—9 inches by 6 inches
Impressionistic Painting by Audrey when she was in her 90s
(1) East Greenwich Historical Cemetery No. 9, called the Spencer Family Cemetery, is located on the south side of Middle Road, one hundred and forty one feet to the west of Partridge Run [Four Spencers are also buried in the original cemetery (aka Straight, StraightSpencer , Over-back, No. 10, No. 510, No. 84) located one thousand, three hundred and eighty three feet to the south of E.Greenwich Historical Cemetery No.9 and east of the adjoining wall]
(2) The initials J.B. in William J.B. Spencer stands for Joseph Briggs, the second husband of Wm. J.B.’s maternal grandmother, Ann Almy (nee Tarbox) Spencer. Joseph Briggs gave $50.00 to Anna Maria (pronounced Mar-eye-ah) his stepdaughter to name her son after him.
(3) Sappho, an ancient Greek poet, was born on the island of Lesbos. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC. The bulk of her poetry, which was well known and greatly admired throughout antiquity, has been lost, but her reputation has endured through surviving fragments.
(4) Libby Prison was in Richmond, Virginia. After the war, the building was moved piece by piece to Chicago, Illinois as a tourist attraction, but the venture failed, according to The Richmond News on the internet.
(5) Anna Maria (pronounced Mar-eye-ah) was Audrey Mae’s paternal grandmother. Audrey always referred to her grandmother as Anna Mirah (aka Myriah). An outside explanation of Maria being pronounced as Mar-eye-ah is in a book, “Play It As It Lays” by Joan Didion.
(6) Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) is a genetic disease that could have its origin from distant cousins who marry, which was a common custom in those days. In the long run, close intra-family marriages weakens family lines whereas diversity strengthens family lines. The CMT Association in Chester, Pennsylvania has as “Our mission: To generate the resources to find a cure, to created awareness, and to improve the quality of life for those affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth. Our vision: A world without CMT.”
(7) The four babies, Taylor, Loren, Madison and Jordan, were born to Janet Gauvin Messier’s daughter in law. Crystal, as part of her Church’s mission, helps the mother every Wednesday morning. The quads are now three years old; all healthy, beautiful children. Crystal has become attached to the children and they to her. Janet was Heather’s good friend in junior high school; Janet and her brother and sister are the owners of Alpine Nursing Home in Coventry.
(8) The tall boots that Charles Vaughn always wore caused Audrey to wonder later in life whether he had CMT and used the boots as leg and ankle braces. There is no way to substantiate this assumption, as boots were common footware at that time in history.
Charles and Lydia Edith Vaughn’s homestead is by Route 2 and Division Road in East Greenwich. Charles and Lydia Edith Vaughn were Audrey Mae’s maternal grandparents.
(9) The distance between RISD and 742 Washington Street in Coventry, R.I. where Audrey lived was around fifteen miles.
(10) Baby pigs are shoats.
(11) Aunt Jeannie was not a blood relative, but we all called her aunt because she was so great to all of us. Her name was Jeannie Campbell. Her husband was killed in a train accident returning from the World’s Fair in 1939, I believe.
(12) Aunt Jeannie Campbell and sons, Addy and Dick, lived next door to the west when we lived on East Greenwich Avenue. Aunt Jeannie also had a son, named Franklin who died young. We as children never knew him.
(13) Grandpa is Wm. J.B. Spencer, Audrey’s father.
(14) CMT Logo — See Appendix
(15) The companion transit chair is used instead of a wheel chair with two large wheels. The companion transit chair has four small wheels and, therefore, ideal for a “companion” to push you. However, Audrey loved to just push her chair with her feet while seated in her chair. The companion chair is very light weight and folds up easily to put in a car..
(16) The obituary in the newspaper does not seem to be correct. Georgia National Park at Andersonville has no record of a John Johnson Spencer at Andersonville confederate prison. We know he was at Libby Prison and at Belle Isle prison in Richmond, Virginia. He was in the battles that were around Pa and Va. We have no other records of him going further south.
(17) Unfortunately, the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was part of the slave trade with Africa. Although small in number, black people from Africa were kept as slaves. They were mostly in South County on small plantations where the terrain was not as hilly as the rest of R.I. Many of these men were used to build the stonewalls in R.I. Unlike much of the South, the slavemasters in Rhode Island took great pride in trying to have the best dressed slaves in the area.
(18) Grandma is MaryJane (nee Vaughn) Spencer, Audrey’s mother
(19) Music sheet of Solomon Levi
(20) There was a student that graduated [1960 from J. F. Deering High School] with Heather whose last name was Bedard. Mother and I met his brother at Alpine Nursing Home when the brother was visiting his parent at Alpine. Mother told him that she knew the Bedard sisters in Arctic when she was a child. Bedard said that there used to be a street in Arctic that was called Bedard, but they did not know how that name originated and he did not know anything about the Bedard sisters who mother had met. The street most likely was named after the Bedard sisters [family] that owned the store in Arctic.
(21) Cudgel, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is “a short heavy club”.
(22) Crystal, Audrey’s second daughter, emailed me to say the following: “the man who killed the pigs was old man Irons. His daughter Isabelle Irons went to Shepherd of the Valley Church. She was about 85 years old in 1970. She never married. I remember when he came to the house and shot the pig, Pinky. Pinky was a big fat pink pig…so cute. Vaughn was a baby in the crib in the back room. We were supposed to stay in the room, so we wouldn’t see what was going on; but you know me, I had to peek. I looked out the window and saw the pig fall down. I remember crying. You and Deardra were there too [but you two didn’t peek!]. I never knew that we ate the pig. Thank God! I can remember it like it was yesterday.
(23) Audrey would always end with I love you dear, so when she would say I love you Heather dear, I would feel extra special.
(24) Douglas MacDonald stated that Grandpa MacDonald’s mother’s birth name was Conlon.
(25) Solomon Levi was a song
(26) Having five daughters and only one son able to help the father on the farm would have created great financial hardship because women did not work outside the home on the farm. It is understandable why they were land rich but money poor. [Heather’s opinion]
(27) The Straight/Spencer Historical Cemetery (aka Over Back Cemetery) in East Greenwich, R.I was *registered, recorded and checked in October 2001 by Heather MacDonald with the assistance of John Sterling, a commissioner, appointed by the Rhode Island Governor, on the Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission.
Henry Straight and his family and slaves and the four Spencers were buried in this Over Back Cemetery, as the Spencer decendants referred and still refer to this cemetery. Mary (nee Manchester) Spencer buried her husband, William, and son, Richard, when they died of smallpox in October of 1777 while the younger son, John, was fighting in the American Revolution. Years later, John buried his mother Mary and sister Elizabeth in the Over Back (aka Straight/Spencer) Cemetery. [Before Audrey Mae’s father died in 1969, Audrey promised him that she would care for the Over Back Cemetery. Before, Audrey died in 2007, Audrey’s daughter, Heather, promised her that she would record and care for the Over Back Cemetery where the four Spencers are buried.]
When Middle Road came through, the Spencers began the new cemetery currently called the Spencer Family Historical Cemetery # 9 in East Greenwich, R.I. The new cemetery on the south side of Middle Road is located 1,383 feet to the north of the “Over Back Cemetery” (aka Straight/Spencer Cemetery).
* as recorded in the East Greenwich Library’s special computer program on historical cemeteries
(28) Earnshaw’s in E. Greenwich, R.I. is a gift shop…and Earnshaw in Wickford is now Brook’s Drugs.
John (c1638– d. 8-30-1684) and Susannah* (nee Griffin) Spencer (b.5-13-1644 – d.4-12-1719) of Newport, R.I. were Founders and Early Settlers of East Greenwich, R.I. in 1667;
Buried: “just west of the house” (289 Kenyon Avenue, East Greenwich—original house razed in 1914) “on the bank of Payne’s Pond”
*Another spelling for Susannah was Susanna
John Edward Spencer (b.8-15-1904—d.4-26-1988) was named after this first John in East Greenwich, as well as three other ancestor grandfathers who carried the name of John down through the generations.
2nd Generation:
John (b.4-20-1666–d.1743) and Audrey (nee Green) Spencer (12-27-1667–d.4-17-1733)
Audrey Green’s parents: John and Ann (nee Almy) Green
Buried:
Audrey Mae (nee Spencer) MacDonald (3-19-1912—3-11-2007) was named after her great, great, great, great, great, great, great (7 times) grandmother, Audrey (nee Green) Spencer, of this generation.
3rd Generation:
William (b.5-5-1695–d.1758) and Elizabeth (nee Rice) Spencer, (b.5-6-1698—d. 1776)
Elizabeth Rice’s parents: John and Elnathion (nee Whipple) Rice
Married 5-10-1716
Buried:
4th Generation:
William (b.4-4-1723—d. Oct. of 1777) and Mary (nee Manchester) (b.12-19-1719—9-8-1784) Spencer, were the first Spencer family on the Spencer homestead on Middle Road.
Buried: on the west end of “Over Back” Cemetery, located 1,383 feet south of Spencer Historical East Greenwich Cemetery #9. The “Over Back” Cemetery is on the east side of the adjoining stonewall connecting to the Spencer Historical East Greenwich Cemetery #9.
5th Generation:
John (b.2-7-1760—d.9-29-1849) and Huldah (nee Johnson) Spencer (b.6-28-1762—d.8-29-1852)
John was in the American Revolution.
Buried: Huldah’s gravestone is #1 and John’s gravestone is #2 in AudreyMae (nee Spencer) MacDonald’s diagram of the Spencer East Greenwich Historical Cemetery # 9.
6th Generation:
Richard (b.5-11-1798—d.12-19-1889) and Roby (nee Tarbox) Spencer (b.7-15-1798—d.1876)
Richard was always called Deacon Richard because he was Deacon of the Frenchtown Baptist Church for fifty years.
Buried: Roby’s gravestone is #5 and Richard’s gravestone is #6 in Audrey Mae (nee Spencer) MacDonald’s diagram of the Spencer East Greenwich Historical Cemetery #9.
7th Generation:
Richard Anthony (b.9-1-1817—d.5-27-1845) and Ann Almy (nee Tarbox) Spencer (b.2-13-1823—d.11-24-1904)
Richard Anthony died at age 27, leaving only one child, Anna Maria.
Buried: Richard Anthony’s gravestone is #7 in Audrey Mae (nee Spencer) MacDonald’s diagram of the Spencer East Greenwich Historical Cemetery #9. 8th Generation:
Anna Maria (b.5-23-1844—d.9-25-1913) and John Johnson Spencer (b.5-27-1842—d.4-19-1926)
AudreyMae spelled Anna Maria’s name Mirah because everyone pronounced the name Mar-eye-ah at that time in history. If Anna Maria had not married a Spencer, the Spencer name would have ended in this generation as a surname. John Johnson Spencer was in the Civil War.
Buried: Anna Maria’s gravestone and also John Johnson’s gravestone is #8 in Audrey Mae (nee Spencer) MacDonald’s diagram of the Spencer East Greenwich Historical Cemetery #9.
Edith Anna (b.6-11-1898—d.12-8-1991) was named after this grandmother, Anna Maria, and, also, her Vaughn grandmother, Lydia Edith Vaughn (b.7-28-1844—d.4-23-1917), buried in the Vaughn East Greenwich, R.I. Historical Cemetery #7.
9th Generation:
William J.B. (b.4-11-1878—d.1-12-1969) and Mary Jane (nee Vaughn) Spencer (b.1-14-1877—d.2-11-1955)
Fearful of vandalism in the East Greenwich Historical Cemetery #9, Mary Jane wanted to be buried in a cemetery with perpetual care near their home in Coventry, R.I. She was the first of a number of Spencer (and Vaughn) descendents in Lot 29 and 50, Rathbun Cemetery, corner of Washington Street and Knotty Oak Road, Coventry, R.I.
William’s full name is William Joseph Briggs Spencer. However, William J.B. Spencer and Joseph Briggs are not blood related, as William’s name would suggest. Joseph Briggs was Anna Maria’s stepfather, and he wanted her son to be named after him. He told Anna Maria (pronounced Mar-eye-ah) that if she named her son after him, he would give her fifty dollars ($50.00); in 1878 fifty dollars was a lot of money. She named William after him and she received the money.
Following the tradition of carrying on family names, William J.B. was named after his great, great, great, great (4 times) grandfather, William, and his great, great, great (3 times) grandfather, William.
10th Generation:
William J.B. and Mary Jane (nee Vaughn) Spencer’s three children:
Edith Anna (b.6-11-1898—12-8-1991)
John Edward (b.8-15-1904—4-26-1988)
Audrey Mae (b.3-19-1912—3-11-2007)
Burial Places:
Edith Anna (nee Spencer) Evarone is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.
John Edward Spencer is buried in Lot 29, and Audrey Mae (Spencer) MacDonald is buried in Lot 50, Rathbun Cemetery, corner of Washington Street and Knotty Oak Road, Coventry, along with their parents, William J.B. and Mary Jane (nee Vaughn) Spencer, and other Spencer (and Vaughn) descendents.
