Audrey Mae SpencerSpencer Historical CemeteryHenry Straight / William Spencer Family Cemetery
Vaughn Historical CemeterySpencers of East Greenwich, RI

Posts Tagged Audrey Mae Spencer

19 June 2002

Heather: How did you know so much about your ancestors?

Richard Anthony (“Deacon”) Spencer

 

Audrey: Aunt Mandy, Deacon Richard Anthony’s daughter, told and wrote down much of the Spencer family history. She put a date on every paper. I remember my grandfather, John Johnson Spencer living in our household when I was a child.

The house on Spencer’s Corner (the corner of Division Street and Crompton Road in East Greenwich, Rhode Island) descended to Deacon Richard (Richard Anthony “Deacon”) and then to his descendants. This house on Spencer’s Corner was where John Johnson and Anna Maria* Spencer’s three sons – William J.B.** Spencer, Alfred Ernest Spencer and Richard Augustus Spencer- were born.

William J.B. Spencer (Audrey’s father) was sent as a young boy to live and work the farm with his great-uncle Gus (William Augustus Spencer) at the Spencer Homestead on Middle Road. Uncle Gus had no sons, so William J.B. Spencer was to inherit that homestead on Uncle Gus’s death. Uncle Gus died when Aunt Edith (Edith Anna Spencer, Audrey’s older sister) was two years old. Uncle Gus was a mean man; Violet’s grandmother hated him so. Violet’s mother married John Jason Jolly who was William J.B. Spencer’s favorite great-uncle; John Jolly (Jason) Spencer was a perfect man.

*Anna Maria was Audrey Mae’s paternal grandmother.  The name Maria was pronounced Mar-eye-ah at that time in history. Audrey would spell her grandmother’s name as Anna Mirah (aka Myriah) because that was how it was pronounced and actually written in some legal documents.  Audrey was surprised to find out later in life that her grandmother’s name was actually Anna Maria.
**The initials J.B. in William J.B. Spencer stands for Joseph Briggs, the second husband of William J.B.’s maternal grandmother, Ann Almy (née Tarbox) Spencer.  Joseph Briggs gave $50.00 to his stepdaughter Anna Maria (pronounced Mar-eye-ah) to name her son after him.
13 November 2002

Heather: When did you begin reading?

Sketched by Audrey, Geraniums on the windowsill

Audrey: When I was 10 years old, I belonged to the Anthony Library Association. We had an old fashioned desk with an opening down (pull down) desktop and the bottom of the desk had books. Mother (Mary Jane Vaughn Spencer) was a great reader. She would sit in the rocking chair by the window and see who was coming in the back of the house. She had geraniums on the windowsill in back of the washing machine and they looked so beautiful. She would have my father’s supper ready and (she would) jump up when she saw him coming home.

Before bed, we would all have crackers and milk. Still that’s all I eat (crackers and milk) and I dip a spoon in the jelly.

5 February 2003

Heather: How old were you when you were in combat?

21 February 2004

Heather: How has the weather been?

Wedding picture of Milton and Audrey MacDonald

Audrey: It has been raining and snowing so now it is muddy. The snow is piled up about five or six feet high. I’m happy and contented here. Everybody in the family is doing well. I’ve got on my white pants and red shirt. They (Alpine Nursing Home staff) are very good here.They take good care of us. Someone helps me get dressed each morning. They are very good nurses. We know them all. They are all pretty young and they wear pretty colors. We cannot find fault with these young women. They are kind and take good care of us.

I love this chair! (light weight “Companion chair” with four small wheels) I get around just like I’m walking.

Theo, she comes out and we have big and long talks in the hall. She’s in Room 10. I’m in Room 4. My room is nice. Everybody likes it here. I have three meals a day and the food is good. Theo plays Solitaire but I haven’t played cards lately.

She lived in West Greenwich and I lived in Anthony when we (Audrey and Milton and Theo and Bill) went to the dances. All the dances were (held) in West Greenwich. In the old days when we went dancing, all the dances were held in an old barn. After Theo and Bill married, they stayed in West Greenwich, and after we (Milton and Audrey) married, we didn’t see each other again. We didn’t get out then. Oh, Dear, my hand is tired!

Heather: I’ll call next Saturday, same time, same station!

16 March 2004

Heather: (Theo came in the room to chat) Theo, tell me about the double dating?

Theo: Milton and my late husband Bill grew up in Hope and they were childhood chums. They pooled their money and got a Ford Roadster Convertible. Every Wednesday and Saturday night, Theo, Bill, Audrey and Milton would go dancing. One night was square dancing and the other night would be round dancing. Bill and Milton would take turns driving and the couple that was not in the driving seat would sit in the rumble seat.

26 September 2004

Heather: Spencer was named after our family and his brother was named Craig after his father’s side of the family.

10 December 2004

Email from Crystal to inform Heather that her mother has been moved from one home to another home:

“Today will be the fourth day Mom has been in her new home (Kent Regency Nursing Home) Mom sang happy birthday to me in front of the speech therapist. Mom talked more than I have heard her say at one time, since I talked with her on the phone November 10th.”