Audrey Mae Spencer

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.)

The Death of  Brenda Elaine (née West) MacDonald

Brenda Elaine (née West) MacDonald (1939-2003), Audrey’s first daughter-in-law and married to Audrey’s eldest son, Spencer, died  February 23, 2003 in Coventry, Rhode Island.  Brenda and Spencer raised two daughters, Lisa Gayle and Julie Ann.

Brenda, born on a farm on Hope Furnace Road, was the daughter of Elmer and Bertha West. During High School, Brenda worked as waitress at Remington Ice Cream in Hope, Rhode Island, and before her retirement in 1998, she worked as Secretary/Office manager at H&H Lace Processing in Hope, R.I. for 22 years.

Brenda was a charter member of the Valley Squares [Square Dancing] and had bowled [Duckpins] for 40 years on the Sunshine Girls Bowling League. Brenda was very involved in Shephard of the Valley Methodist Church in Scituate, Rhode Island. As an advocate for the Rhode Island Breast Cancer Coalition, she had attended the national Breast Cancer Advocacy Training Conference in Washington, D.C.

Brenda’s Memorial Service, with hundreds of guests attending, was held on March 1, 2003 at the Shephard of the Valley United Methodist Church, Seven Mile Road, Hope, Rhode Island.

Elwyn Orman Bean (1923-2003),  Audrey’s niece Virginia’s husband, died February 24, 2003 in Westwood, California. Virginia (AKA Ginny) is Audrey’s older sister’s second daughter.

During World War II, Bean served in the Navy as an airman. He was stationed at the Navy Base in Hawaii where he was trained at the Naval Flight School. He flew as a gunner on a T.B.F. (Torpedo Bomber Fighter) in the Pacific Theatre for over 3 years.

Before the war, Bean worked as welder at Consolidated Shipyard and after the war  his work was upholstery where he originally was a small business owner and later retired as Supervisor of upholsterers in a larger company.

Ginny and Bean were married on October 2, 1945 and were married over 57 years. They bought their first and only home in Manhattan Beach, a lovely beach community, in 1950 where they raised their five children, Diana, Donald, Linda, Laurie and Ann Marie.

March 1, 2003, Audrey, along with hundreds of other guests, attended Brenda’s Memorial Service at the
Shephard of the Valley United Methodist Church, Scituate, Rhode Island.

March 18, 2003 Audrey Moves to Alpine Nursing Home
(Alpine Nursing Home, Coventry, Rhode Island)

Audrey: Oh, that’s great!

Audrey: Yes